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
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Recent Examples of torturing
Joseph Buczek, CBS News, 23 Mar. 2026
Some 800 film professionals, including Oscar winners Juliette Binoche, Marion Cotillard and director Yorgos Lanthimos, have signed a joint statement condemning the Iranian government’s brutal crackdown on protestors, calling out Tehran’s killing and torturing of its own people.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 21 Jan. 2026
Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 18 Mar. 2026
The Ayatollah ruled as a brutal dictator, killing and torturing his own people, imposing harsh restrictions on basic freedoms, and put the lives of our troops and global allies constantly at risk.
—Derek Tran, Oc Register, 6 Mar. 2026
Draughan was arraigned Thursday on two counts of second-degree killing/torturing animals, one count of felony firearms, one count of cruelty to an animal resulting in the animal's death, and one count of abandoning animals.
—Joseph Buczek, CBS News, 5 Mar. 2026
Ida, meanwhile, is a crime society floozy in 1930s Great Depression Chicago, an escort to a coterie of goombahs who take to mentally torturing her over dinner and drinks in a speakeasy.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 4 Mar. 2026
Experts have a long history of torturing us with predictions about how technology will wipe us out, first our jobs and then just getting rid of us altogether because humans are a bother.
—Peter Cappelli, Fortune, 28 Feb. 2026
According to court records, Quero Silva is defending himself against the new federal lawsuit accusing him of torturing the protestors in Barquisimeto.
—Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 13 Feb. 2026
Yorgos Lanthimos, Florian Zeller and Juliette Binoche are among more than 800 film professionals who have signed a joint statement condemning the Iranian government for killing and torturing its own people.
—Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 21 Jan. 2026
Dan Bujor, who lives out of a school bus parked in Long Island City, was arrested Sunday on charges including overdriving animals, torturing and injuring animals and failure to provide sustenance, in addition to driving without a license, in connection with the bizarre incident, cops said.
—Roni Jacobson, New York Daily News, 6 Jan. 2026
Noun
Yaldo was arraigned on March 20 on one count of third-degree killing/torturing of animals, a four-year felony, and given a $75,000 bond.
—Joseph Buczek, CBS News, 23 Mar. 2026
Some 800 film professionals, including Oscar winners Juliette Binoche, Marion Cotillard and director Yorgos Lanthimos, have signed a joint statement condemning the Iranian government’s brutal crackdown on protestors, calling out Tehran’s killing and torturing of its own people.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 21 Jan. 2026
Verb
Two recent cases of parents in Round Lake Beach and Fox Lake charged with several counts each of torturing and abusing their children — in one case allegedly causing a son’s death — point to the need for some sort of parental licensing.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 18 Mar. 2026
The Ayatollah ruled as a brutal dictator, killing and torturing his own people, imposing harsh restrictions on basic freedoms, and put the lives of our troops and global allies constantly at risk.
—Derek Tran, Oc Register, 6 Mar. 2026
Draughan was arraigned Thursday on two counts of second-degree killing/torturing animals, one count of felony firearms, one count of cruelty to an animal resulting in the animal's death, and one count of abandoning animals.
—Joseph Buczek, CBS News, 5 Mar. 2026
Ida, meanwhile, is a crime society floozy in 1930s Great Depression Chicago, an escort to a coterie of goombahs who take to mentally torturing her over dinner and drinks in a speakeasy.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 4 Mar. 2026
Experts have a long history of torturing us with predictions about how technology will wipe us out, first our jobs and then just getting rid of us altogether because humans are a bother.
—Peter Cappelli, Fortune, 28 Feb. 2026
According to court records, Quero Silva is defending himself against the new federal lawsuit accusing him of torturing the protestors in Barquisimeto.
—Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 13 Feb. 2026
Yorgos Lanthimos, Florian Zeller and Juliette Binoche are among more than 800 film professionals who have signed a joint statement condemning the Iranian government for killing and torturing its own people.
—Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 21 Jan. 2026
Dan Bujor, who lives out of a school bus parked in Long Island City, was arrested Sunday on charges including overdriving animals, torturing and injuring animals and failure to provide sustenance, in addition to driving without a license, in connection with the bizarre incident, cops said.
—Roni Jacobson, New York Daily News, 6 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for torturing
Adjective
-
Another wrenching question, of course, is whether at least the younger Perez siblings would want or need to go with Olga to Guatemala if she were deported.—
Tim Padgett,
Sun Sentinel,
27 Mar. 2026
-
These four novels create a convincing, wrenching, kaleidoscopic picture of the range and repetitions of the most fatal kind of love; the sort of love that allows nothing else to grow around it, that eradicates all dignity; a love which, in order to be completed, must be told.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Nanomade, a company specializing in ultra-sensitive deformation sensing technology, has announced a new product developed in collaboration with PolyIC that combines capacitive touch and ultra-sensitive force sensing into a fully transparent film.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Additionally, the screen uses auto-smoothing flex glass, which is resistant to deformation and better able to recover its original shape.—
Eric Zeman,
PC Magazine,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
But so often left unsaid by Gu are the moral ambiguities that come with choosing to represent a country that has been heavily criticized by Human Rights Watch, among other watchdog groups, for denying rights of freedom of expression and for persecuting government critics.—
Zak Keefer,
New York Times,
17 Feb. 2026
-
The term refers to biblical passages in which Jesus described Jews in specific communities who were persecuting the early Christians.—
Jennifer Berry Hawes,
ProPublica,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The front has square glass block masonry on the lower half, which lets light in while reducing what's visible outside by distorting the view.—
Stefan Ionescu
March 30,
New Atlas,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Kyle is just outing herself as a gossip and is distorting what everyone has to say to try to one-up Dorit in her own life.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The timing of the interview—just a few days before Holy Week, when Christians like Nancy and Savannah Guthrie, year after year, stage a harrowing reënactment of an unjust, torturous death—wasn’t lost on anyone.—
Vinson Cunningham,
New Yorker,
1 Apr. 2026
-
While folks all across the nation are grappling with torturous TSA lines, Joe Jonas actually had fun at the airport on Saturday.—
Madeleine Marr,
Miami Herald,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The distortion uses religion as a tool to inflame hate and justify violence.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Apr. 2026
-
The zoom relies heavily on digital corrections to remove distortion and brighten its corners to match the center.—
Jim Fisher,
PC Magazine,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
By the middle of the summer, YLO should be prepared to work out a more systematic offensive against the injustices plaguing the Latin colony.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Another reality plaguing the AI industry is the extremely high cost of energy in Europe.—
Francesca Cassidy,
Fortune,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
To make a profit from their business, American companies sent their manufacturing facilities overseas, screwing American workers by incurring smaller labor costs, therefore profiting rich investors who never had to work for it and used their money to make more money off the American consumer.—
Jay Reddick,
The Orlando Sentinel,
10 Mar. 2026
-
All the setup required was screwing in the legs.—
Noah Kaufman,
Architectural Digest,
7 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Torturing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/torturing. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
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