1
as in nightmares
a situation or state that causes great suffering and unhappiness
it's torture for me to see you so unhappy
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in pains
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 plagues
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 distorts
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 tortures
David Bloom, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Noun
Former Jews deemed insufficiently converted faced the Spanish Inquisition’s tortures.
—David Bloom, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tortures
Noun
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The combination of DePrimeo and Rotondi simply overpowered Masco (3-1), and that duo is bound to cause nightmares for opposing lines all season.—
Justin Barrasso,
Boston Herald,
27 Sep. 2025
-
Having your mouth taped shut is the stuff of nightmares — but some people are doing just that to themselves.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
27 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
For many, the virus results in flu-like symptoms, such as a fever with headache, body aches, joint pains, vomiting, diarrhea or rash, per the CDC.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
28 Sep. 2025
-
In April, 44-year-old Marie Ange Blaise, a Haitian, died while being held at GEO’s Pompano Beach facility after complaining of chest pains.—
Shirsho Dasgupta,
Miami Herald,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
His voice already had that staticky, far-away quality that plagues international calls, which made Nakia fear he was gone for good.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Everything that plagues Chicago also plagues America.—
Heidi Stevens,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
This pressure also distorts decision-making.—
Benjamin Laker,
Forbes.com,
19 Sep. 2025
-
Stress or overconfidence distorts risk perception and influences decisions far more than spreadsheets.—
Bruce Helmer,
Twin Cities,
13 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
In the space of two years Neon has boarded four films by Oz Perkins, including box office hit Longlegs, The Monkey, and upcoming horrors The Keeper and The Young People.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
28 Sep. 2025
-
Despite Atsu’s scary reputation and the horrors of its world, Yōtei is softer and more sensitive than Tsushima.—
Alyssa Mercante,
Rolling Stone,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
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With an almost modern-day Charlie Chaplin-esque physicality, Moss dances, contorts, and frolics amongst the shoes, their boxes, and fixtures in the store for a mesmerizing, can't-look-away effect.—
Roxanne Robinson,
Forbes.com,
2 Sep. 2025
-
Stewart contorts his face with a look of disbelief when asked if Montgomery has stayed on him.—
Paul Dehner Jr,
New York Times,
18 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Measles is a highly contagious, vaccine-preventable disease caused by a virus that primarily and most severely afflicts children.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
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Although there have been recent breakthroughs in the treatment of Alzheimer’s, no medication has succeeded in stopping or reversing the disease that afflicts more than 7 million Americans, a number projected to reach almost 13 million by 2050, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.—
The Washington Post,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
19 Aug. 2025
Verb
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In free fall, the sheet deforms into an upside-down bell when a weight is attached at its center.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
1 Oct. 2025
-
According to Burlison, the video shows a high-speed object—presumably the missile—hitting the orb, which then deforms, tumbles, and sheds smaller fragments, one barely visible.—
Amir Daftari,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tortures.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tortures. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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