scourging

verb

present participle of scourge
1
as in ravaging
to bring destruction to (something) through violent action barbarians scourged the countryside, leaving village after village burned to the ground

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
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
  1. ravaging
  2. whipping
  3. destroying
  4. hiding
  5. devastating
  6. slashing
  7. lashing
  8. flogging
Verb
  • Julien De Rosa | Afp | Getty Images Firefighters stand by their vehicle as the battle a forest fire in Saint-Jean-d’Illac, some 30km from Bordeaux, on July 26, 2026 as a wildfire has been ravaging the forest north of the Arcachon Basin (Gironde).
    — Sawdah Bhaimiya, CNBC, 27 July 2026
  • France’s interior minister, Laurent Nunez, said the wildfire ravaging large swaths of southwestern France was heading toward the city of Bordeaux.
    — Caroline Blumberg, Los Angeles Times, 24 July 2026
Definition of ravaging
Verb
  • Battered cars with numbers sprayed on their sides are whipping around the dirt track of the Lebanon Valley Speedway, loose fenders flopping like overgrown bangs in the swirling dust.
    — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Iguanas usually go viral for other reasons Iguanas are usually quick-moving and run away from their would-be captors with their long tails whipping behind them.
    — Julia Gomez, USA Today, 24 July 2026
Definition of whipping
Verb
  • The fire ripped through hillside neighborhoods, destroying mansions with spectacular ocean views.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 Aug. 2026
  • At that tipping point, the only solution is for oil prices to surge, destroying enough demand for oil that the market can return to equilibrium.
    — David Goldman, CNN Money, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of destroying
Verb
  • Pittsboro has neither beaches nor mountains, but don’t count it out as a relaxing getaway just yet; this small town is hiding a Relais & Châteaux inn, restaurant, and spa.
    — Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Ligdis called emergency services to report his trespassing while hiding in the laundry room.
    — Eleanor Jacobs, PEOPLE, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of hiding
Verb
  • The developments come at a challenging time for Sánchez, whose government has been consumed by the response to wildfires that have been devastating the country, including some of the largest on record.
    — Miguel Macias, NPR, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Examples of devastating grass fires include Los Angeles in 2025 and Hawaii in 2023.
    — Seth Borenstein, Fortune, 29 July 2026
Definition of devastating
Verb
  • The Post underwent a round of severe layoffs earlier this year, slashing a third of its workforce, ending its books coverage, and slimming down its metro and international staffs, among other cuts.
    — Ted Johnson, Deadline, 31 July 2026
  • Amazon just put a variety of MacBooks on sale, slashing up to $500 off the most expensive MacBook Pro configurations.
    — Kelsey Fogarty, PC Magazine, 29 July 2026
Definition of slashing
Verb
  • The president has responded to the MAGA criticism by lashing out repeatedly at dissenters, prompting Greene – once a top Trump supporter – not to run for reelection and Massie to lose his primary.
    — Zac Anderson, USA Today, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Koivun launched himself into the lead at TPC Twin Cities by lashing a 305-yard approach shot to 12 feet on the par-5 12th hole.
    — Gabby Herzig, New York Times, 28 July 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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Cite this Entry

“Scourging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scourging. Accessed 7 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of scourging for Spanish Speakers

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