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
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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
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
Individualism, selfishness—these are scourges for your team’s success.
—Don Yaeger, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 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
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
Individualism, selfishness—these are scourges for your team’s success.
—Don Yaeger, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 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
-
During enslavement, physical violence, such as being beaten with whips, was used to control Black bodies.—
Nia Dumas,
NPR,
16 June 2026
-
In our study, leadership included the speaker, party leaders, whips, caucus or conference chairs, and committee chairs or ranking members.—
Mayank Kejriwal,
The Conversation,
10 June 2026
Noun
-
Lucy Hutton and Joshua Templeton are workplace nemeses who serve as executive assistants to co-CEOs of a publishing company.—
Kayla Olson,
PEOPLE,
16 June 2026
-
The actors played each other's nemeses in the comedy series created by and starring Seth Rogen.—
Marina Watts,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 June 2026
Noun
-
Their greatest gifts are their biggest curses.—
Sam Stone,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
18 June 2026
-
Mostly, the show is an eccentric yet seamless mix of black humor and horror, with Wyck trying to convince Loftis that the island’s curses are real.—
Stephen Rodrick,
Rolling Stone,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
Wildfire ravages Simi Valley as evacuations are underway.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
20 May 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
Verb
-
The script hides serious moral and ethical conversations about fame, political violence, and powerful institutions amongst jokes about hashbrowns.—
Lorena O’Neil,
Rolling Stone,
20 June 2026
-
Rehka literally hides under a table to avoid him.—
Tasha Robinson,
Vulture,
16 June 2026
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.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
4 June 2026
-
He is occasionally asked to comment on acts of public violence, compelled to defend the many vigilantes who have appeared in his wake.—
Kevin Lozano,
Harpers Magazine,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
My office will continue to vigorously prosecute defendants who pose serious threats to our community’s safety, especially our children.—
Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
19 June 2026
-
That review must rigorously assess the national security threats posed by foreign government investment in one of the nation’s largest news media companies.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
19 June 2026
Verb
-
An agent that cannot reliably query real-time pricing and inventory, or that cannot preserve brand logic through a checkout flow, destroys the value that luxury merchants have spent decades building.—
Josipa Majic Predin,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
-
April freeze destroys crops Early on the morning of April 21, temperatures in Maryland dropped into the low 20s after weeks of unseasonably warm weather.—
JT Moodee Lockman,
CBS News,
16 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scourges.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scourges. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
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