as in wrenching
intensely or unbearably painful
watched the final torturing moments of the game as the lead constantly shifted between the two teams
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in deformation
the twisting of something out of a natural or normal shape or condition
fans of the natural look frown on the torturing of garden trees and shrubs into fantastic shapes
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in persecuting
to cause persistent suffering to
the neighbor's dog constantly tortures our cat, barking at him and chasing him down the street
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in distorting
to twist (something) out of a natural or normal shape or condition
tortured her naturally straight hair into curls
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for torturing
Noun
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In the northern Sierra, there are currently no signs of deformation.—
Taylor Nicioli,
CNN Money,
18 Apr. 2025 -
Because of the slope’s slow-moving collapse, scientists can study the landslide’s historical rates of deformation and see how those changes relate to the retreat of the Barry Arm glacier.—
Darren Orf,
Smithsonian Magazine,
18 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Before embarking on an NBA career that's already filled with exhilarating highs and torturous lows, Pritchard helped lead the Oregon Ducks to their first Final Four appearance since the inaugural NCAA men's basketball tournament.—
Bobby Krivitsky,
Forbes.com,
16 Apr. 2025
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This is like one of Larry David's torturous self-debates on Curb Your Enthusiasm, but without his perverse genius, his wheedling, preening hostility.—
Tom Gliatto,
People.com,
26 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
In the larger sense, along with truth comes a distortion of it, sometimes innocently and inadvertently but, more often than not, by design and for ulterior purposes.—
Eli Amdur,
Forbes.com,
13 Apr. 2025
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These distortions reduce a complex conflict to a morality play.—
U T Readers,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The roughly 6,000 employees in Kansas City faced agonizing choices: decide whether to accept resignation or early retirement offers by April 14 or risk losing their jobs later.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
21 Apr. 2025
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Another has equipment so inadequate that the city has to ship samples to a state lab 150 miles away, causing inefficiencies, agonizing waits for results and delayed response times.—
Ryan J. Foley,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Nonprofit offers free medical screenings for kids in need Fresh Start Surgical Gifts, a nonprofit that helps children with physical deformities get reconstructive surgery, will provide free medical screenings for underserved children in need.—
Linda Mcintosh,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 Apr. 2025
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The 5-year-old, who was born with an ear deformity and cannot verbally communicate, misses his father and has been extremely distressed since his arrest, said Lucia Curiel, one of the family’s lawyers.—
Rebecca Morin,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2025
Verb
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That’s changing this year, as three Democratic governors announced new initiatives aimed at addressing disparities afflicting boys and men.—
Elizabeth Robinson,
NBC news,
25 Mar. 2025
-
One key focus of these efforts should address the deficiencies afflicting the market for biologics, which are medicines made or derived from biological processes.—
Wayne Winegarden,
Forbes,
5 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Bannon, who owns a marketing company, then began experiencing excruciating stomach pains and lost 14 pounds in just a month, which doctors blamed on acid reflux.—
Melissa Rudy,
FOXNews.com,
24 Apr. 2025
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From the moment Gabriel Landeskog stepped on the ice for warmups, Ball Arena was rocking, but the joy gave way to excruciating tension as the game went on — until Tyler Seguin scored off a Mason Marchment feed at 5:31 of overtime to give the Stars a 2-1 win and a 2-1 series lead.—
Mark Lazerus,
New York Times,
24 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Whether singing a cappella or accompanied by her guitar to hundreds or thousands of people − at a small venue or an awards show − Lafourcade's performances feel visceral, intense and intimate all at once.—
Pamela Avila,
USA Today,
26 Apr. 2025
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In place of intense (and potentially irritating) acids, Mediheal's Madecassoside Blemish Pads target breakouts and breakout-causing bacteria with anti-inflammatory powerhouses madecassoside and cica.—
Sarah Han,
Allure,
25 Apr. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Torturing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/torturing. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
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