1
as in whips
a long thin or flexible tool for striking
the museum display included a scourge, thumbscrews, and other notorious instruments of torture
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in nemeses
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 curses
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in ravages
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 hides
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 scourges
Danielle Chemtob,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2026
Greenhouses provide protection from scourges like tomato blight, which ravages otherwise beautiful crops in areas with cool, rainy weather.
—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Kansas City Star,
1 Apr. 2026
Measles, among the most contagious diseases, is typically the first to infect undervaccinated communities and serves as a warning that other scourges will follow.
—
Patricia Callahan,
ProPublica,
19 Mar. 2026
What the novel is working toward is not the exposure of a violation, let alone the processing of any real-life event, but a recognition of the self—a self who survives the scourges of childhood, and a storytelling-self who learns that fiction can reveal otherwise unsayable truths.
—
Honor Jones,
The Atlantic,
3 Mar. 2026
With new funding, America can continue to lead the historic effort to eliminate ancient scourges.
—
Stewart Simonson,
Washington Post,
2 Mar. 2026
The administration abruptly halted USAID's global health work, which had saved millions of lives from scourges like AIDS, malaria and malnutrition over the course of six decades.
—
Npr Staff,
NPR,
23 Jan. 2026
At the film’s outset, Inez kidnaps her young son Terry from foster care shortly after her release from prison, and A Thousand and One chronicles her attempt to parent despite the scourges of abuse, police brutality and systemic racism.
—
Emma Specter,
Vogue,
18 Oct. 2025
First each member, in turn, would prostrate himself while the others, marching in a circle, stepped over him and struck him with their scourges.
—
Michael Robbins,
Harpers Magazine,
20 Aug. 2025
Edward Lotterman,
Twin Cities,
31 May 2026
Noun
For more than a decade, YouTube has faced its fair share of scourges, including accusations of radicalizing users or harming their mental well-being.
—
Danielle Chemtob,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2026
Greenhouses provide protection from scourges like tomato blight, which ravages otherwise beautiful crops in areas with cool, rainy weather.
—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Kansas City Star,
1 Apr. 2026
Measles, among the most contagious diseases, is typically the first to infect undervaccinated communities and serves as a warning that other scourges will follow.
—
Patricia Callahan,
ProPublica,
19 Mar. 2026
What the novel is working toward is not the exposure of a violation, let alone the processing of any real-life event, but a recognition of the self—a self who survives the scourges of childhood, and a storytelling-self who learns that fiction can reveal otherwise unsayable truths.
—
Honor Jones,
The Atlantic,
3 Mar. 2026
With new funding, America can continue to lead the historic effort to eliminate ancient scourges.
—
Stewart Simonson,
Washington Post,
2 Mar. 2026
The administration abruptly halted USAID's global health work, which had saved millions of lives from scourges like AIDS, malaria and malnutrition over the course of six decades.
—
Npr Staff,
NPR,
23 Jan. 2026
At the film’s outset, Inez kidnaps her young son Terry from foster care shortly after her release from prison, and A Thousand and One chronicles her attempt to parent despite the scourges of abuse, police brutality and systemic racism.
—
Emma Specter,
Vogue,
18 Oct. 2025
First each member, in turn, would prostrate himself while the others, marching in a circle, stepped over him and struck him with their scourges.
—
Michael Robbins,
Harpers Magazine,
20 Aug. 2025
Verb
An expensive dollar also scourges industries that compete with imports.
—
Edward Lotterman,
Twin Cities,
31 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scourges
Noun
-
The unrest began in mid-March but has intensified, leaving at least three dead as vigilantes armed with spears, clubs, and whips assaulted migrants and destroyed their homes.
-
In grainy videos, marchers, sometimes draped in South African flags and carrying clubs and leather whips, smashed shop windows and beat migrants in the streets.
Noun
-
Lucy Hutton and Joshua Templeton are workplace nemeses who serve as executive assistants to co-CEOs of a publishing company.
-
The actors played each other's nemeses in the comedy series created by and starring Seth Rogen.
Noun
-
Morgan and her Judgment Day cronies tried to bribe Danhausen to put curses on their opponents.
-
In baseball, curses are no joking matter, and the Curse of the FTD Burger might now have befallen the team.
Verb
-
Wildfire ravages Simi Valley as evacuations are underway.
-
Greenhouses provide protection from scourges like tomato blight, which ravages otherwise beautiful crops in areas with cool, rainy weather.
Verb
-
Also in Scorsese’s film, Cady’s crimes are so galling that Sam, Cady’s defense lawyer, breaks his own oath to his client and hides evidence that might have helped get Cady off (a change from MacDonald’s novel).
-
The main event is its almost-sheer yet transformative coverage that hides pores, redness, and wrinkles, all the while imparting deep hydration via hyaluronic acid.
Noun
-
For a storyteller whose works revolve around complicated or slippery romances, life-altering revelations, and fateful everyday encounters, the brutality of the mafia and New York City street vigilantes feels far removed from her own.
-
He is occasionally asked to comment on acts of public violence, compelled to defend the many vigilantes who have appeared in his wake.
Noun
-
Two weeks ago, Lutnick invoked export control authorities to require Anthropic to shut off access to its two most capable systems, Mythos 5 and Fable 5, citing threats to national security.
-
The conflict over the past few months has increased war risk insurance costs for both maritime and aviation sectors, with insurers reassessing exposure due to missile threats, airspace closure, and other disruptions.
Verb
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Arrrives, destroys Femi and hands Main Event Jey the crown.
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University of Idaho students and faculty have already been involved in research using AI to improve worker safety and to understand more about ALS, a neurological disorder that destroys nerve cells.
Cite this Entry
“Scourges.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scourges. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.
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