as in tease
a person who causes repeated emotional pain, distress, or annoyance to another
a sadistic torturer of men he regarded as weak, the drillmaster really had it in for one recruit
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Recent Examples of torturer
Aaron escapes his torturers, first by rooting himself in the town’s only movie theater open to Black people, and then by lying about his age and enlisting in the Navy at 16.
—
Meredith Maran, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2026
Incredibly, one of Schiller's torturers, Jorge Delgado - the Sun Gym member who had first told Lugo about Schiller and his millions - ended up helping the federal government make their case.
—Troy Roberts, CBS News, 8 Apr. 2026
His torturers shattered his hands and paraded him around the stadium, taunting him to try to play his guitar.
—Christina Hioureas, Rolling Stone, 22 Mar. 2026
Others refuse to lower themselves to the level of their torturers.
—Karl Vick, Time, 13 Mar. 2026
In an early scene, an auto mechanic named Vahid recognizes his former torturer by the distinctive squeak of his prosthetic leg.
—Cora Engelbrecht, New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2026
The film, which looks at a former political prisoner who considers violent revenge against his prison torturer, was co-written by Panahi, Mahmoudian, Nader Saeiver and Shadhmer Rastin.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 1 Feb. 2026
In addition, my torturers repeatedly provided pieces of information that could prove helpful in identifying them as part of investigations by the FBI and other agencies.
—Elizabeth Tsurkov, The Atlantic, 11 Jan. 2026
Hopper grabs El and leaves Kali behind to be captured by her torturers again.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 31 Dec. 2025
Meredith Maran, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2026
Incredibly, one of Schiller's torturers, Jorge Delgado - the Sun Gym member who had first told Lugo about Schiller and his millions - ended up helping the federal government make their case.
—Troy Roberts, CBS News, 8 Apr. 2026
His torturers shattered his hands and paraded him around the stadium, taunting him to try to play his guitar.
—Christina Hioureas, Rolling Stone, 22 Mar. 2026
Others refuse to lower themselves to the level of their torturers.
—Karl Vick, Time, 13 Mar. 2026
In an early scene, an auto mechanic named Vahid recognizes his former torturer by the distinctive squeak of his prosthetic leg.
—Cora Engelbrecht, New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2026
The film, which looks at a former political prisoner who considers violent revenge against his prison torturer, was co-written by Panahi, Mahmoudian, Nader Saeiver and Shadhmer Rastin.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 1 Feb. 2026
In addition, my torturers repeatedly provided pieces of information that could prove helpful in identifying them as part of investigations by the FBI and other agencies.
—Elizabeth Tsurkov, The Atlantic, 11 Jan. 2026
Hopper grabs El and leaves Kali behind to be captured by her torturers again.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 31 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for torturer
Noun
-
Lead actor Tom Rhys Harries celebrated that the film was wrapped and gave fans a look at potential teases into the character's psyche.—
James Brizuela,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Nov. 2025
-
The label on this one is like a tease.—
Jolene Thym,
Mercury News,
27 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Crucial events morphed into massive set pieces, like Louis hunting down Claudia’s killers by setting their theater on fire, exploding the motorcycles of the vampires who fled the inferno, and eventually bursting out of a manhole to behead Claudia’s main tormenter.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
2 June 2026
-
Pedro Báez joined the Los Angeles pen in 2014 and assumed the role of Goldschmidt’s primary tormentor.—
Zack Meisel,
New York Times,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
On May 8, the alleged harasser, Alex Jenkinson, appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court via live link and was ordered to stay away from several royal residences.—
Janine Henni,
PEOPLE,
12 May 2026
-
When Bieber went out into the crowd, some of the fans were a bit too grabby; social-media pundits are excoriating at least one of them as a harasser.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Third graders would learn about the Road to Damascus, which tells the story of Paul's transformation from an early persecutor of Christians into a follower.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Third graders would learn about the Road to Damascus, which tells the story of Paul's transformation from an early persecutor of Christians into a follower.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Anyone who thinks the only alternative to being a victim is to be a victimizer is missing some important possibilities.—
Nikhil Krishnan,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Even if online shaming continues, this accountability will make sure that the victimizer will face social consequences as well.—
Eli Thompson,
Rolling Stone,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The attacker leads the Norway squad but will be assisted, probably quite literally, by Arsenal playmaker Martin Ødegaard.—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
16 June 2026
-
After Skrepetsky fell to the ground, the attacker reportedly walked closer and fired two more times.—
Anna Noryskiewicz,
CBS News,
16 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Torturer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/torturer. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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