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                         
                
                                                                                                                                
        Synonyms & Similar Words
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  Merriam-Webster unabridged




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