1
as in curse
a prayer that harm will come to someone
uttered an anathema before driving the would-be robber from the his shop
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2
as in enemy
something or someone that is hated
the use of animals in the testing of cosmetics is anathema to animal-rights activists
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Recent Examples of anathema
What is anathema in a conservative House district may be popular in a swing district, and vice versa.
—
Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 5 May 2025
Yet that very framing is anathema to the Chinese side—and likely to cause Beijing to disengage altogether.
—Zongyuan Zoe Liu, Foreign Affairs, 29 Apr. 2025
Polis also tried to expand the talks to include some of his priorities that were anathema to labor.
—Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 6 May 2025
Accepting a prize named after Milton Friedman, the free-market economist, on Thursday, Mr. Koch made his first public remarks since Mr. Trump was inaugurated in January and enacted a number of policies that are anathema to Mr. Friedman’s and Mr. Koch’s politics, most notably the sweeping tariffs.
—Theodore Schleifer, New York Times, 2 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for anathema
Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 5 May 2025
Yet that very framing is anathema to the Chinese side—and likely to cause Beijing to disengage altogether.
—Zongyuan Zoe Liu, Foreign Affairs, 29 Apr. 2025
Polis also tried to expand the talks to include some of his priorities that were anathema to labor.
—Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 6 May 2025
Accepting a prize named after Milton Friedman, the free-market economist, on Thursday, Mr. Koch made his first public remarks since Mr. Trump was inaugurated in January and enacted a number of policies that are anathema to Mr. Friedman’s and Mr. Koch’s politics, most notably the sweeping tariffs.
—Theodore Schleifer, New York Times, 2 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for anathema
Recent Examples of Synonyms for anathema
Noun
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Christopher Walken stars as a school teacher who comes out of a coma with a gift that feels more like a terrifying curse.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
23 May 2025
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While Rory McIlroy finally broke his 11-year curse to claim the green jacket, Bradley struggled, missing the cut with a 3-over-par.—
Devlina Sarkar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 May 2025
Noun
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The absence of cloud cover that day exposed the Liberators even more to enemy fire.—
Linda Dudik,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 May 2025
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Nearly 700,000 people were executed in Stalin’s 1937-38 Great Terror amid show trials and purges of his real and perceived enemies.—
Reuters,
CNN Money,
23 May 2025
Noun
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During a media scrum with reporters, Reese was asked questions about the investigation and the hate comments.—
Nelson Espinal,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 May 2025
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Some of the latest Haliburton hate isn’t completely about him.—
Jason Jones,
New York Times,
20 May 2025
Noun
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The series was an abomination of epic scale for Miami, but one that maybe shouldn’t have shocked following a 37-45 regular season and 10th playoff seed that worked up in the play-in to No. 8.—
Greg Cote,
Miami Herald,
29 Apr. 2025
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And that would be an abomination – an abuse of power, and punishment against the weakest, most fragile and youngest in our country.—
Ailsa Chang,
NPR,
17 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Spice is added to the battle between the two clubs from the antipathy between Brighton’s owner-chairman Tony Bloom and his Brentford counterpart, Matthew Benham.—
Andy Naylor,
New York Times,
12 May 2025
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The data suggest the public, including majorities of Republicans, do not embrace the antipathy the president has expressed towards those trading partners.—
Steve Liesman,
CNBC,
19 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The reactions from right-of-center publications divide into roughly four camps, aligning on a spectrum ranging from vocal approval to outright abhorrence.—
Zack Beauchamp,
Vox,
7 Dec. 2018
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Tolin doesn’t candy coat the animosity, helping children to understand how artists and Others continue to be misunderstood and how that lack of appreciation fuels abhorrence.—
Natasha Gural,
Forbes,
27 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Here’s how to help Distinguishing fear from anxiety disorders or phobias The first step in addressing an anxiety disorder or phobia is recognizing symptoms that fall outside the boundaries of a common fear.—
Julianna Bragg,
CNN,
5 Feb. 2025
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The study also found the phobia was more prevalent among women than men.—
Jack Beresford,
Newsweek,
24 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Between the lines: Many undecideds are painfully trying to balance their sense of obligation with their detestation for Trump, as USA Today first detailed on Thursday.—
Erin Doherty,
Axios,
14 Dec. 2024
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One of the most memorable chapters epitomizes her detestation for the ultra-wealthy and pompous intellectuals who rushed to rationalize her work.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Variety,
20 Jan. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Anathema.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anathema. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.
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