1
as in nightmares
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 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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Michael Lee Simpson, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Oct. 2025
The mistake tortures them, which prompts the couple to try and solve the mystery by producing a fake play in an attempt to get their ex-neighbor Mary (Chloe Cherry) to audition.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 3 Oct. 2025
Noun
Former Jews deemed insufficiently converted faced the Spanish Inquisition’s tortures.
—David Bloom, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Verb
Now, a sinister witch (Sarah Stephens) who bathes her broomstick in the woods tortures their existence, abducting their infant and leaving the family in shambles.
—Michael Lee Simpson, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Oct. 2025
The mistake tortures them, which prompts the couple to try and solve the mystery by producing a fake play in an attempt to get their ex-neighbor Mary (Chloe Cherry) to audition.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 3 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tortures
Noun
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Use of some fluoroquinolone antibiotics, such as ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin, has also been linked with a higher risk of nightmares.—
Stacey Colino,
Time,
3 Nov. 2025
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The medication is also sometimes prescribed for nightmares and other sleep disturbances caused by post-traumatic stress disorder, according to the AP.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
1 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The movie takes pains to illustrate how the possible end of the world will begin like any other day.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
24 Oct. 2025
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Colleagues who failed to take similar pains earned his everlasting disdain.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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When an unexpected event takes him back to his hometown, he is reunited with his mother and old friends but also confronted by the corruption that plagues his country, sparking a political awakening.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
20 Oct. 2025
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Chapman’s tenure at the SBC Executive Committee from 1992 to 2009 encountered similar economic and political headwinds that plagues the SBC today, yet many Southern Baptists remember that time for Chapman’s determination to push past those hurdles for the sake of growing local churches.—
Liam Adams,
Nashville Tennessean,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
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This dynamic suppresses wages and distorts labor competition.—
Billal Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Oct. 2025
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Expecting others to adapt to us is a selfish gesture that distorts the spirit of travel.—
Wilson Santiago Burgos,
USA Today,
26 Oct. 2025
Noun
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This tale of a plausible viral apocalypse makes the case that true horrors can lurk just outside our view — and possibly within us all.—
Dennis Perkins,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Oct. 2025
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Pritam witnessed firsthand the horrors of Partition—communal riots forced her to migrate to India from Pakistan in 1947 with nothing but her two small children and a red shawl.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Will, in response, contorts his entire face into a terrible grimace.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
30 Oct. 2025
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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
Verb
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Recent research finds a similar curse afflicts National Football League teams that compete to acquire one of the top picks in its annual draft of new players.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
21 Oct. 2025
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Motion sickness afflicts one in three adults and one in two children.—
Eric D. Lawrence,
USA Today,
9 Oct. 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
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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 Nov. 2025.
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