tortures 1 of 2

noun

plural of torture
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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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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tortures

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of torture
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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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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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of tortures
Noun
Tykes get slapped around, shot with arrows and dangled in traffic — tortures that are played seriously, but the shock of them allows you to guffaw. — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026 But such judgments often come from a place of distance—from people who have never lived under a theocracy that imprisons, tortures, and kills with impunity. — Nazanin Boniadi, Time, 11 Mar. 2026 In that final part of the cycle—the writing part—were torments, perhaps even tortures, but good things happened. — Jake Lundberg, The Atlantic, 19 Feb. 2026 Former Jews deemed insufficiently converted faced the Spanish Inquisition’s tortures. — David Bloom, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Verb
After Max tortures them in a mock-trial confrontation in their living room, Tom eventually tackles Max into the backyard pool. — Benjamin Vanhoose, PEOPLE, 31 July 2026 On his latest Hyperdub release, the Japanese producer born Takahide Higuchi sings more than on previous records but tortures his voice through a gauntlet of pitch-shifter effects. — Daniel Bromfield, Pitchfork, 27 July 2026 Later, in one of the movie's most satisfying scenes, Millie locks Andrew in the attic and tortures him by loudly smashing each plate. — Lauren Huff, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Dec. 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 The 1990 Kathy Bates-James Caan starrer remains one of Hollywood’s finest horror pieces, with Bates winning an Oscar for her role as the obsessive fan Annie Wilkes, who tortures author Paul Sheldon (Caan) while holding him hostage in her remote cabin. — Deborah Wilker, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tortures
  1. nightmares
  2. pains
  3. plagues
  4. distorts
  5. horrors
  6. distresses
  7. persecutes
  8. contorts
Noun
  • Facts + Comments A medication derived from cannabis significantly reduced nightmares in patients with PTSD, according to German researchers.
    — Danielle Chemtob, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Now in rehabilitation outside Khartoum, hundreds of former child fighters struggle with physical wounds, nightmares and family rejection as global agencies push Sudan to free and protect these boys.
    — Sam Mednick, Los Angeles Times, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of nightmares
Noun
  • Fouad Saeed Abdulkadir, then 46, died in 2025 after complaining of severe chest pains.
    — Finch Walker, USA Today, 8 Aug. 2026
  • And Ford’s Bergg took pains to emphasize that its low price wasn’t coming from where customers would notice.
    — Michael Ballaban, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of pains
Verb
  • More bureaucracy — in the form of the new stand-alone Department of Gun Violence Reduction — while well-intentioned, isn’t the panacea to what plagues our city, especially as whoever is appointed head of this new department will enjoy too much independence from the mayor.
    — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 26 June 2026
  • Odd moment plagues fourth quarter As the Knicks held on to their fairly sizable lead, a fan ran onto the court, tried to take a selfie with Wembanyama but was quickly apprehended by security.
    — Jacob Lev, CNN Money, 4 June 2026
Definition of plagues
Verb
  • The narrative that choice schools funnel funds away from local districts distorts Connecticut public school funding.
    — Leonard Lockhart, Hartford Courant, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Instead of wiping firmware, an adversary nudges a setpoint, edits a protection parameter, distorts a sensor feed—or shows the operator a calm screen while the equipment tears itself apart.
    — Julian Durand, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of distorts
Noun
  • The horrors inflicted and the resilience of the Jewish people in the face of denial and cruelty would define the rest of the century.
    — Tracy Grant, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Most younger people haven’t been taught about the horrors of communism, such as the deliberate starvation of millions of Ukrainian farmers and their families in the early 1930s.
    — Steve Forbes, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of horrors
Noun
  • Pain, infection, medication side effects, and other physical and emotional distresses may be expressed through shouting, intimidating gestures, kicking, pushing, or punching.
    — Jordan Rau, NPR, 19 July 2026
Definition of distresses
Verb
  • China, which jails human rights activists in Hong Kong, persecutes Uyghurs, has killed hundreds of thousands of Tibetans and has committed genocide against the Falun Gong, is on the UN Human Rights Council.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 18 Feb. 2026
  • In Russia, the civilian repressive apparatus persecutes the military, which leaps at every chance for revenge.
    — Stephen Kotkin, Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
Definition of persecutes
Verb
  • Monk’s music contorts into an ecstatic dance, one more befitting of a ritual trance state than a night at the Five Spot.
    — Levi Dayan, Pitchfork, 11 May 2026
  • Bridges contorts his body, and jacks up an errant layup, but the play isn’t done there.
    — Fred Katz, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2026
Definition of contorts

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Cite this Entry

“Tortures.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tortures. Accessed 11 Aug. 2026.

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