1
as in ravaged
to bring destruction to (something) through violent action
barbarians scourged the countryside, leaving village after village burned to the ground
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2
as in whipped
to strike repeatedly with something long and thin or flexible
scourge the tree with a whip to loosen the bark
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Recent Examples of scourged
These scourged the poor harder than anyone else.
—
Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 31 Aug. 2025
Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 31 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scourged
Verb
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Despite their house being reduced to rubble and Gaza ravaged by conflict, the family is relieved and happy to finally be home.—
Nabih Bulos,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Feb. 2026
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Sara Jo Mathews and her family did their part to fight the wildfire that ravaged New Mexico.—
Michael Collins,
USA Today,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Pierce died after being whipped with a belt and being forced to stand in a cold shower, authorities said.—
Joseph States,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Feb. 2026
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Winds whipped and livestock fled as first responders tried to quell the intense flames, another video showed.—
Briana Waxman,
CNN Money,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Hefner said the photos should be destroyed.—
City News Service,
Daily News,
18 Feb. 2026
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And in the late 1980s, after Little Saigon found official recognition, freeway and street signs directing people to the community were frequently defaced and destroyed in disapproval, Hua said.—
Victoria Le,
Oc Register,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The group of 11 skiers and four guides was returning from a three-day backcountry ski trip during a winter storm that dumped up to 7 feet of snow and lashed the mountains with 60 mph winds.—
Matt Gutman,
CBS News,
19 Feb. 2026
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Clinton, instead of delivering the usual liberal-candidate-seeks-Black-votes hominy, lashed out at her words.—
Johanna Neuman,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Edison’s aging transmission lines probably sparked the January 2025 fire that devastated west Altadena, a historically Black community of 1960s middle-class homebuyers.—
Melody Petersen,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Feb. 2026
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This practice has contaminated farms, wells and food supplies in states across the country, often leaving farmers financially devastated and communities scrambling for clean drinking water.—
Peter Blair,
Baltimore Sun,
21 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The rival’s face was slashed during an attack in prison and stabbed by two inmates in another prison less than a month later.—
Silas Morgan,
The Orlando Sentinel,
20 Feb. 2026
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Thomas, 32, was found handcuffed with her throat slashed in her southeast Charlotte home near her 10-month-old baby’s crib on July 27, 1990.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The media flagged and flogged it for AI incompetence.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
25 Jan. 2026
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To be publicly flogged for how much Pa permitted us to do — that felt grossly unfair.—
Meredith Kile,
PEOPLE,
31 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Duer slapped a single up the middle, but Harrison struckout looking to end the inning.—
Tony Catalina,
Austin American Statesman,
21 Feb. 2026
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No matter how many times he was slapped in the face or counted out, Jesse Jackson kept on running—the consummate political survivor.—
Gail Sheehy,
Vanity Fair,
20 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scourged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scourged. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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