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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Two months later, the couple went Instagram official, as the SKIMS founder was featured in a video which showed the F1 driver whipping around in his Ferrari F40 at the Daikoku Parking Area in Tokyo, Japan.

— Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 2026
Mercedes removed Willow’s cat, but Willow answered by whipping Mercedes with the AEW Women’s World Championship belt.

— Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of whipping

Verb

Demonstrators carrying Spanish flags moved toward beachside migrant camps last week, destroying shelters and setting fires as police attempted to keep protesters and migrants apart, according to Spain’s public broadcaster RTVE and news agency EFE.

— Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Several homeowners near Meta’s massive Newton County data center have filed a lawsuit accusing the tech company and others of tainting their water and destroying their rural way of life.

— Zachary Hansen, AJC.com, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of destroying

Verb

The trio were found hiding in a ditch about 200 yards from where they were pulled over, according to the news release.

— Daniel McFadin, Arkansas Online, 31 Aug. 2026
After six months of war, the deadlock has left the Islamic Republic bitterly divided, while its ultimate arbiter, Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, remains in hiding.

— Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of hiding

Verb

Over 150 people have been killed and hundreds more are missing after devastating flash floods swept through the Himalayan region along the Nepal-Tibet border, officials from both countries confirmed Wednesday.

— Callum Sutherland, Time, 26 Aug. 2026
And that roads budget included the funding to take care of the existing roads, which would have been devastating ecologically and socially, because if these roads keep falling off the hillsides, then people can’t use them.

— Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of devastating

Verb

Odysseus ended up lashing himself to the mast and ordering his crew to plug their ears with wax.

— Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 27 Aug. 2026
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

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 4 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of scourging

verb

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