SCOURGING Synonyms: 141 Similar and Opposite Words

scourging

verb

present participle of scourge

as in ravaging

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

as in whipping

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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for scourging

Verb

Majur Traytowu is struggling to hold on to influence and authority amid a devastating alcohol epidemic ravaging her territory — and her own life.

— Dan Agostini, Washington Post, 27 Aug. 2026
The boy was infected with an ultra-rare amoeba known for ravaging the brain.

— Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of ravaging

Verb

Whisk with ¾ cup whole milk and use in any sweet recipe that doesn’t require whipping.

— Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Aug. 2026
At the landing zone, with bullets whipping and cracking around them, Capers—barely clinging to consciousness—refused to board the helicopter until every last man, and his dog’s body, was aboard.

— Ethan Rocke, Charlotte Observer, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of whipping

Verb

Pumping at high speeds creates a suction vortex (upconing) that violently draws heavy sludge into the production stream, fouling piping and destroying surface pumps.

— Siddharth Misra, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2026
The tornado wreaked havoc in the village of 1,000 inhabitants, reducing homes to rubble and destroying numerous cars.

— ABC News, ABC News, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of destroying

Verb

Rather than hiding from the toughest challenges, Hill confronted them head-on despite knowingly taking on some short-term pain and cost.

— Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 24 Aug. 2026
With that $140, York bought himself a lifetime of punchlines at his expense and, presumably, years of hiding from the spotlight.

— Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of hiding

Verb

The ceremony concluded a nearly 20-year struggle that profoundly shaped the latter decades of Caper’s life—a trial marked by devastating grief, institutional rejection, deteriorating health, and extraordinary perseverance.

— Ethan Rocke, Charlotte Observer, 20 Aug. 2026
Major hurricanes can cause wind damage ranging from devastating to catastrophic and significant loss of life from their winds alone.

— Karina Zaiets, USA Today, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of devastating

Verb

Beijing has moved to insulate itself economically, slashing crude imports nearly 50% since the war started, according to The Wall Street Journal, and bolstering domestic energy.

— Lauren Morganbesser, semafor.com, 23 Aug. 2026
But there’s no sign Washington is serious about slashing the budget or raising taxes.

— Jason Ma, Fortune, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of slashing

Verb

Vinicius Jr started each of Brazil’s five matches at the World Cup and played a starring role in the group stage, lashing in an excellent goal against Morocco, scoring and assisting against Haiti, and adding a brace against Scotland.

— Cerys Jones, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2026
Lala weakened from a hurricane to a tropical storm Sunday after lashing the state without making landfall.

— ABC News, ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of lashing

Verb

So, that is one gig at a completely unnecessary addition to the sports calendar, created by corporate interests for the sole intention of flogging products to people who do not really like sport… and another at the Enhanced Games.

— Matt Slater, New York Times, 23 May 2026
In an even more meta moment, Amazon interrupted its own Upfront with actual ads with Summer House star Paige DeSorbo flogging certain items to an increasingly frustrated audience.

— Peter White, Deadline, 11 May 2026

Definition of flogging

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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scourges

scourging

scouring

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“Scourging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scourging. Accessed 29 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of scourging

verb

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