1
as in whip
a long thin or flexible tool for striking
the museum display included a scourge, thumbscrews, and other notorious instruments of torture
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2
as in nemesis
one who inflicts punishment in return for an injury or offense
the attorney general, who just happens to be a candidate for governor, is a self-proclaimed scourge of organized crime
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in curse
a source of harm or misfortune
the sheer ubiquity of food is proving to be the scourge of humanity, as evidenced by the obesity epidemic
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to ravage
to bring destruction to (something) through violent action
barbarians scourged the countryside, leaving village after village burned to the ground
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to whip
to strike repeatedly with something long and thin or flexible
scourge the tree with a whip to loosen the bark
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of scourge
Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 24 Apr. 2026
Or that Manrique taught his Times bosses that Latinos were more than domestic help or a societal scourge.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2026
Dorothy Wickenden, The New Yorker, 30 Oct. 2023
Like its American rival, the Tiger was initially intended to scourge Soviet tank battalions, but was refashioned for multi-role capabilities.
—Sébastien Roblin, Popular Mechanics, 9 Mar. 2023
See All Example Sentences for scourge
Noun
The ongoing outcry surrounding Jeffrey Epstein is on some level a reckoning with the scourge of child abuse and the impunity of the elites.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 24 Apr. 2026
Or that Manrique taught his Times bosses that Latinos were more than domestic help or a societal scourge.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2026
Verb
The tragedy inspired a poem by twelve-year-old Benjamin Franklin and a funeral oration by the scourging Puritan clergyman Cotton Mather.
—Dorothy Wickenden, The New Yorker, 30 Oct. 2023
Like its American rival, the Tiger was initially intended to scourge Soviet tank battalions, but was refashioned for multi-role capabilities.
—Sébastien Roblin, Popular Mechanics, 9 Mar. 2023
See All Example Sentences for scourge
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scourge
Noun
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Scientists are learning more about the underlying mechanisms of the whip, according to a presentation at this week’s meeting of the Acoustical Society of America in Philadelphia.—
Jennifer Ouellette,
ArsTechnica,
13 May 2026
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Gone are the Labrinth needle-drops and kinetic camerawork — whip-pans and dolly zooms have given way to wide shots on 65mm, as its cast of hot young actors delve deeper into a vast wasteland where hope does not spring eternal.—
Marlow Stern,
Variety,
11 May 2026
Noun
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The Paper centered on Michael Keaton — in his third film with Howard — as Henry Hackett, metro editor of the New York Sun, who navigates a motley roster of colleagues, including his nemesis in managing editor Alicia Clark (Glenn Close), over a 24-hour period to get that day’s edition to newsstands.—
Ryan Gajewski,
HollywoodReporter,
10 May 2026
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And still, Inter Miami incredibly fell apart, allowing four goals to its cellar-dwelling nemesis from Central Florida.—
Andre Fernandez,
Miami Herald,
6 May 2026
Noun
-
As the moon meets Pluto, ultimate creative freedom can be a curse.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
8 May 2026
-
Baseball has always been a sport that believes in the occult — in juju and curses and superstitions.—
Tim Rohan,
NBC news,
3 May 2026
Verb
-
In Bird Box, mysterious entities that drive people who look at them completely insane ravage the planet, and the only way to survive is to not look at them.—
K. Thor Jensen,
PC Magazine,
8 May 2026
-
The majority of those moves in that 2020 season were necessitated by the team seeing nearly one-third of its roster ravaged and only having so many options to fill spots.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
That day, Riley had been editing a sequence in which Corvette sneaks into a San Francisco condo owned by Christie, her fashion idol, by hiding inside a coffee delivery cart.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
17 May 2026
-
Bugs also tend to hide inside packaging, seams, or even the food itself.—
Kate Van Pelt,
The Spruce,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
As for what’s next, best strap it down.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
10 May 2026
-
Ruched satin straps, a lace mesh overlay, and tiny bow details give these sneakerinas an elegant flourish.—
Jamie Allison Sanders,
PEOPLE,
10 May 2026
Noun
-
Activists say the real death toll may never be known, with users and small-time peddlers gunned down almost daily in mysterious slumland killings blamed on vigilantes and turf wars.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
13 May 2026
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Like the comics, Bernthal’s Punisher was a loose-cannon, gun-toting vigilante overflowing with grief from the shocking murders of his wife and children.—
Jordan Moreau,
Variety,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
For many Georgians, the roads around Atlanta are not only essential for getting around the state's capital city, but also the bane of their existence.—
Irene Wright,
USA Today,
9 May 2026
-
This song is meant to add levity to the series and also introduce us to this ridiculous character whose only purpose is to be the bane of Mabel’s existence for the season.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
7 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scourge.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scourge. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
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