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
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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
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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of scourge
Greg Dixon, NPR, 17 Sep. 2025
In fact, the scourge of housing advocates, single-family zoning, was invented in the Bay Area, in nearby Berkeley, in the 1910s.
—Janie Har, Fortune, 16 Sep. 2025
Sébastien Roblin, Popular Mechanics, 9 Mar. 2023
While the kinds of extreme heat events like the wildfires that scourge many parts of the world in hot weather are still very rare in the UK, this report underlines how much temperature changes affect our daily lives—and are likely to do so more in the future.
—Cassie Werber, Quartz, 23 Jan. 2023
See All Example Sentences for scourge
Noun
But the body created in the aftermath of World War II to save future generations from scourge of war is struggling.
—Greg Dixon, NPR, 17 Sep. 2025
In fact, the scourge of housing advocates, single-family zoning, was invented in the Bay Area, in nearby Berkeley, in the 1910s.
—Janie Har, Fortune, 16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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
While the kinds of extreme heat events like the wildfires that scourge many parts of the world in hot weather are still very rare in the UK, this report underlines how much temperature changes affect our daily lives—and are likely to do so more in the future.
—Cassie Werber, Quartz, 23 Jan. 2023
See All Example Sentences for scourge
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scourge
Noun
-
My focus was always trying to bring the kind of complexities of the kink world to the screen…trying to find the warmth in that community rather than be like Prince Albert, whips, chains, and gags.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Oct. 2025
-
Beckett’s symbols of master and slave — the whip, the rope, the servant weighed down with baggage — are either mimed or cut and in doing so lose its real horror.—
Frank Rizzo,
Variety,
29 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Through Chapter Progression, players can recruit Blazkowicz alongside his nemesis, scientist Strasse, both available with zero perks.—
Andrew McGowan,
Variety,
1 Oct. 2025
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Even Pep Guardiola, once Mourinho’s cultural nemesis, employed stymying tactics as his Manchester City side ended their game at Arsenal earlier this month with just 33 per cent of possession.—
Jordan Campbell,
New York Times,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
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After coming back from a 3-0 deficit in the 2004 American League Championship Series, the Red Sox not only broke their World Series curse that year, but went on to defeat the Yankees in the teams' next two postseason battles in 2018 and 2021.—
Jackson Roberts,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
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The Grudge Karen (Sarah Michelle Gellar) is an American nurse living in Tokyo who is exposed to a mysterious supernatural curse.—
Caitlin White,
Variety,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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But Altadena was one of the neighborhoods most ravaged by the fire, and it's located miles away from Eaton Canyon.—
Chiara Eisner,
NPR,
2 Oct. 2025
-
The three-day, bracket-style tournament was held on Watauga Lake in East Tennessee, a region that was ravaged by Helene’s floodwaters along with western North Carolina and other parts of Appalachia.—
Dac Collins,
Outdoor Life,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
In addition to being faster and scalable, fiber doesn’t hide metals worth extracting and reselling.—
Rob Pegoraro,
PC Magazine,
7 Oct. 2025
-
Turns out, Kelce was hiding more than just nerves.—
Stephanie Giang-Paunon,
FOXNews.com,
7 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The most exciting feature is the realistic mask, though, which has mesh eyes for kids to see through while trick-or-treating, and an adjustable strap to fit their head properly.—
Katrina Cossey,
Parents,
1 Oct. 2025
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Unlike most bags with adjustable straps that leave one long piece dangling, this pack uses a thin piece of elastic that evens out the loop for a more streamlined appearance.—
Merrell Readman,
Travel + Leisure,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The Dark Hearts, for whatever reason, weren’t a fan of this vigilante justice.—
Grace Byron,
Vulture,
29 Sep. 2025
-
Directed by the iconic Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After Another stars DiCaprio as Bob Ferguson, a vigilante and former rebel who is on the run from Penn's Officer Steven Lockjaw.—
Rebecca Aizin,
PEOPLE,
26 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Collective farms, the bane of Soviet agriculture that had once inspired Fidel’s revolutionary visions, were no longer the norm.—
Joseph J. Gonzalez,
The Conversation,
3 Oct. 2025
-
The aforementioned around-town mileage, for example, was one of the biggest banes of the Jeep owner's existence.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
27 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scourge.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scourge. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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