as in tormented
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1
as in persecuted
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 distorted
to twist (something) out of a natural or normal shape or condition
tortured her naturally straight hair into curls
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Recent Examples of tortured
Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 8 May 2026
Patrick McTigue, chair of the planning board, voted last and cast the deciding vote — but not before taking a long and tortured pause.
—Susannah Bryan, Sun Sentinel, 27 Apr. 2026
McIlroy had a tortured career at Augusta prior to the last two years.
—Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 12 Apr. 2026
Linda becomes her husband’s unyielding defender as the tortured Biff — once the quintessential American boy — develops into a Knight of the Mirrors against his father’s Quixote, the adversary who tries to force the dreamer to encounter his own reflection.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2026
After filming, Eric Dane, who brilliantly portrayed tortured parent Cal Jacobs, succumbed to the effects of ALS in February of this year.
—Shirley Halperin, Rolling Stone, 9 Apr. 2026
The getaway spirals into terror when Katie (Charli xcx) becomes possessed by a violent, tortured spirit (Mizuhara), unleashing a nightmare steeped in Japanese horror tradition.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 20 Mar. 2026
Henshall is a hoot as the tortured inspector, though the series has recently taken on a new dimension with the addition of Ashley Jensen (so brilliant in Ricky Gervais’ Hollywood satire, Extras) as the formidable DI Ruth Calder.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Mar. 2026
During the show’s wildly popular first season, Robby was treated as a swaggering, tortured heartthrob by the viewers who turned this HBO Max original into an Emmy-winning success.
—Esther Zuckerman, Vanity Fair, 20 Feb. 2026
Todd Feurer, CBS News, 14 May 2026
On the device was a recording lasting over seven hours that allegedly captured the sound of Torbick being tortured, prosecutors reportedly said.
—Liam Quinn, PEOPLE, 12 May 2026
Her sisters were also imprisoned and tortured.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 10 May 2026
One who is both fascinated and tortured by the brilliance of another.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 8 May 2026
Few embody a tortured, beguiling Americana quite like her.
—Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2026
Barahona and his wife, Carmen, beat and tortured the twins, tying them with electrical cord and shocking them in a bathtub with the door locked, investigators said.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 6 May 2026
The expression on Moss-Bachrach’s face is tortured and tired, like just thinking about this awful day with Mikey took time off his life — and then, another awful thing.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 5 May 2026
In 1969 she was put in solitary confinement for 491 days and tortured.
—Kate Bartlett, NPR, 2 May 2026
Adjective
But it was denounced in others after a group of Iraqi artists pulled out of the show, protesting a French artist’s work that featured graphic images of tortured Abu Ghraib detainees.
—Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 8 May 2026
Patrick McTigue, chair of the planning board, voted last and cast the deciding vote — but not before taking a long and tortured pause.
—Susannah Bryan, Sun Sentinel, 27 Apr. 2026
McIlroy had a tortured career at Augusta prior to the last two years.
—Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 12 Apr. 2026
Linda becomes her husband’s unyielding defender as the tortured Biff — once the quintessential American boy — develops into a Knight of the Mirrors against his father’s Quixote, the adversary who tries to force the dreamer to encounter his own reflection.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2026
After filming, Eric Dane, who brilliantly portrayed tortured parent Cal Jacobs, succumbed to the effects of ALS in February of this year.
—Shirley Halperin, Rolling Stone, 9 Apr. 2026
The getaway spirals into terror when Katie (Charli xcx) becomes possessed by a violent, tortured spirit (Mizuhara), unleashing a nightmare steeped in Japanese horror tradition.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 20 Mar. 2026
Henshall is a hoot as the tortured inspector, though the series has recently taken on a new dimension with the addition of Ashley Jensen (so brilliant in Ricky Gervais’ Hollywood satire, Extras) as the formidable DI Ruth Calder.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Mar. 2026
During the show’s wildly popular first season, Robby was treated as a swaggering, tortured heartthrob by the viewers who turned this HBO Max original into an Emmy-winning success.
—Esther Zuckerman, Vanity Fair, 20 Feb. 2026
Verb
In 2017, the Illinois Torture Inquiry and Relief Commission determined ther was credible evidence that Day was tortured into a false confession.
—Todd Feurer, CBS News, 14 May 2026
On the device was a recording lasting over seven hours that allegedly captured the sound of Torbick being tortured, prosecutors reportedly said.
—Liam Quinn, PEOPLE, 12 May 2026
Her sisters were also imprisoned and tortured.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 10 May 2026
One who is both fascinated and tortured by the brilliance of another.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 8 May 2026
Few embody a tortured, beguiling Americana quite like her.
—Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2026
Barahona and his wife, Carmen, beat and tortured the twins, tying them with electrical cord and shocking them in a bathtub with the door locked, investigators said.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 6 May 2026
The expression on Moss-Bachrach’s face is tortured and tired, like just thinking about this awful day with Mikey took time off his life — and then, another awful thing.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 5 May 2026
In 1969 she was put in solitary confinement for 491 days and tortured.
—Kate Bartlett, NPR, 2 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tortured
Verb
-
When hunted, poisoned, and persecuted, the coyotes scattered and regrouped, their numbers surging a hundred-fold.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 May 2026
-
Other human rights lawyers have been recently prosecuted in Russia, including Maria Bontsler, a prominent lawyer who defended individuals persecuted by politically motivated charges.—
Irwin Cotler,
Time,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
California’s regulations have distorted prices and, consequently, masked risk.—
Mercury News & East Bay Times Editorial Boards,
Mercury News,
15 May 2026
-
Vaccine discussions continue to be distorted by bad-faith actors and overconfident non-clinicians.—
Adam Goodcoff,
STAT,
13 May 2026
Adjective
-
For years, Christian clergy who live and work in Jerusalem have reported being frequently spat on, harassed and even physically attacked by Israeli extremists.—
Yuliya Talmazan,
NBC news,
1 May 2026
-
In past times of tension and conflict, Iran has at times harassed shipping though the narrows, and during the 1980s Iran-Iraq war, both sides attacked tankers and other vessels, using naval mines to completely shut down traffic at points.—
Jon Gambrell,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The Pistons also were plagued by turnovers (20 that led to 25 Cavaliers points) and fouling (Cleveland attempted 22 more free throws).—
Darnell Mayberry,
New York Times,
12 May 2026
-
The new facility replaced the detention center at 1300 Cherry Street, which is more than four decades old and had fallen into partial disrepair and had long been plagued by unsafe overcrowding and allegations of abuse and mismanagement.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
10 May 2026
Verb
-
Bathed in sunlight, deformed by the wide angle shot, there was our living room.—
Francesco Pacifico,
The Dial,
12 May 2026
-
Weakened by a brief-but-corrosive bath of sulfuric acid droplets during its plunge, the probe would’ve inevitably deformed and ruptured upon reaching the ground.—
Emma Gometz,
Scientific American,
10 May 2026
Adjective
-
For the past 10 months, since a frustrated Colbert announced the cancellation of the three-decade-old talk show in July 2025, the countdown to his farewell has been looming over Colbert and the whole of the late-night genre like a guillotine with a threadbare rope.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
13 May 2026
-
In Rhode Island, school speech therapist Denise Champney said she’s seen children get so frustrated with the software’s animations and spoken prompts that one punched the screen of his Chromebook.—
Tyler Kingkade,
NBC news,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
Nelson’s grandmother was afflicted with dementia at the time of first reading the novel while Miller Rogen’s mother was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s at just 55 years old.—
Diana Lodderhose,
Deadline,
13 May 2026
-
Some babies died, and several of those who survived were afflicted with infections or long-term health problems, their mothers said.—
Abigail Brooks,
NBC news,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
Search the internet and there are coaches and players spotted sniffing the ammonia inhalants before a game, with their instant reactions — a noticeable head jerk or contorted face — going viral.—
Jason Jones,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
-
In these photographs, Export contorted her body in various ways, creating striking images of her body defying the expected.—
Maximilíano Durón,
ARTnews.com,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tortured.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tortured. Accessed 19 May. 2026.
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