1
as in nightmare
a situation or state that causes great suffering and unhappiness
it's torture for me to see you so unhappy
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in agony
a state of great suffering of body or mind
spent an afternoon in torture waiting to hear whether her brother had made it home safely
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to plague
to cause persistent suffering to
the neighbor's dog constantly tortures our cat, barking at him and chasing him down the street
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to distort
to twist (something) out of a natural or normal shape or condition
tortured her naturally straight hair into curls
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of torture
Jack Royston, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
Rights groups reported numerous instances of torture, enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings in the run up to the vote.
—Kate Bartlett, NPR, 3 Nov. 2025
Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 30 Oct. 2025
Wuornos entered a not guilty plea and took the stand — testifying that she was assaulted, raped, and tortured by Malloy during their encounter and only shot him to get away.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for torture
Noun
The organization announced an investigation by outside law firm Omnia Strategy in January 2024 after allegations of human rights abuses, including rape and torture.
—Jack Royston, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
Rights groups reported numerous instances of torture, enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings in the run up to the vote.
—Kate Bartlett, NPR, 3 Nov. 2025
Verb
In addition to Longo, Pope Leo elevated six other men and women to sainthood, including an Armenian archbishop tortured and killed after refusing to renounce Catholicism, a Venezuelan physician who dedicated his service to the poor and several nuns who spent decades helping the downtrodden.
—Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 30 Oct. 2025
Wuornos entered a not guilty plea and took the stand — testifying that she was assaulted, raped, and tortured by Malloy during their encounter and only shot him to get away.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for torture
Recent Examples of Synonyms for torture
Noun
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Fallibility is written into our genetic code, and refereeing is basically a nightmare now for everyone involved.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
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But more than just a topical procedural thriller, the film also plays out like a Kafka novel about endless invasions of privacy and assumptions of malicious intent that converge to form a modern nightmare.—
Christian Zilko,
IndieWire,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Following months of agony and fundraising, Abeba was eventually able to send enough money to pay for her brother Daniel’s release.—
Mick Krever,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
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Near those boundaries, microscopic changes in pace or line flip the result, explaining why near-identical putts can alternate between agony and ecstasy.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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And then stop the organizational dysfunction, which has plagued the team for years.—
Jacob Robinson,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
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The program, plagued from the outset by cost overruns and delays, was paused by the ICC at the end of 2023 to conduct an investigation into the best path forward after the surcharge expired.—
Robert Channick,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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This is why the contestants sound distorted when talking during the show.—
Skyler Caruso,
PEOPLE,
7 Jan. 2026
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Freedom from want mattered because deprivation distorts judgment.—
Philip Martin,
Washington Post,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Mamdani, 34, is a charismatic socialist who has limited experience in the private sector and seems utterly unconcerned about his guiding philosophy’s long track record of creating misery.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
8 Nov. 2025
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Beyond the outright annihilation of people and the considerable trauma that brought onto people, leftist regimes inflicted considerable misery in myriad other ways.—
Sal Rodriguez,
Oc Register,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The plaintiff seeks damages for privacy invasion, emotional distress, reputational harm and alleged placement on government watch lists.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Jan. 2026
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The initial wave of relief soon lifted, giving way to distress when Franco learned his home was uninhabitable.—
Joy Benedict,
CBS News,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Open Doors is a global Christian charity supporting Christians persecuted for their faith.—
Paul Tilsley,
FOXNews.com,
28 Dec. 2025
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Most commonly, people felt they were being persecuted via their electronics – that their Wi-Fi networks, computers or cellphones had been hacked or implanted with tracking devices.—
Alaina Vandervoort Burns,
The Conversation,
17 Dec. 2025
Verb
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And, as usual, the people with the fewest resources will get screwed.—
Ayana Elizabeth Johnson,
Time,
4 Nov. 2025
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No matter what Robert does, he’s totally screwed.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
30 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Torture.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/torture. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.
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