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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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
Olivier Lafontant, Pitchfork, 15 May 2026
While Naverrette flawlessly plays Nikki as being possessed by a sinister spirit who’s obsessed with Bear, her performance also includes tortured outbursts as the real Nikki sporadically breaks free from her subconscious to react in horror as her friend takes advantage of the situation.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 15 May 2026
The report contains nearly 300 pages documenting mass rape, tortured families, mutilation of bodies and murder.
—Bobby Zirkin, Baltimore Sun, 14 May 2026
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
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
The track is bookended by audio of a woman who sells plasma to fund her shopping addiction, a parallel to Skeletrix’s depiction of his plight as a tortured artist.
—Olivier Lafontant, Pitchfork, 15 May 2026
While Naverrette flawlessly plays Nikki as being possessed by a sinister spirit who’s obsessed with Bear, her performance also includes tortured outbursts as the real Nikki sporadically breaks free from her subconscious to react in horror as her friend takes advantage of the situation.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 15 May 2026
The report contains nearly 300 pages documenting mass rape, tortured families, mutilation of bodies and murder.
—Bobby Zirkin, Baltimore Sun, 14 May 2026
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
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
-
My parents were supporters of the anti-apartheid movement and various family members were persecuted for being so also.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
14 May 2026
-
When hunted, poisoned, and persecuted, the coyotes scattered and regrouped, their numbers surging a hundred-fold.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 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
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Others were placed under house arrest, harassed or subject to extensive surveillance, or had their passports confiscated, according to prior NPR reporting and the findings of the United Nations and rights groups.—
Emily Feng,
NPR,
17 May 2026
-
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
Verb
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Her excuse was that the robbery was a sign that Preston was plagued by bad luck.—
Sabrina Reed,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
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Despite that underlying tension, kids play on the street outside while the large family has a dynamic like any other — noisily squabbling, joking, or in the case of the matriarchal grandmother, Mariam (Hiam Abbass), preparing a meal in a kitchen plagued by constant utility outages.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
15 May 2026
Verb
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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
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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
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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
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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 22 May. 2026.
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