1
as in horror
the quality of inspiring intense dread or dismay
the undeniable atrocity of the forced march of Cherokees known as the Trail of Tears
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in badness
the state or quality of being utterly evil
was appalled by the atrocity of Stalin's mass executions
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in cruelty
disposition to willfully inflict pain and suffering on others
wars often unleash a level of atrocity that would be unimaginable in peacetime
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of atrocity
Then Columbia started closing the walkway intermittently in response to students protesting the atrocities in Gaza and the school’s investments in Israel.
—
Clio Chang, Curbed, 24 Feb. 2025
Throughout Assad’s rule, the Alawite sect became increasingly linked, in the eyes of his opponents, to the atrocities committed by his regime during the Syrian civil war.
—Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN, 10 Mar. 2025
The new government should thus start by creating mechanisms to formally acknowledge the Assad regime’s atrocities and begin redressing them.
—Patrick Vinck, Foreign Affairs, 4 Mar. 2025
In the morning, the full extent of the atrocity became clear.
—Michael Luo, The New Yorker, 3 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for atrocity
Clio Chang, Curbed, 24 Feb. 2025
Throughout Assad’s rule, the Alawite sect became increasingly linked, in the eyes of his opponents, to the atrocities committed by his regime during the Syrian civil war.
—Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN, 10 Mar. 2025
The new government should thus start by creating mechanisms to formally acknowledge the Assad regime’s atrocities and begin redressing them.
—Patrick Vinck, Foreign Affairs, 4 Mar. 2025
In the morning, the full extent of the atrocity became clear.
—Michael Luo, The New Yorker, 3 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for atrocity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for atrocity
Noun
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And Laurie pretty much tells her all of that, much to Kate’s horror.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes,
24 Mar. 2025
-
Watch See on Apple TV+ Servant M. Night Shyamalan created the popular Apple TV+ horror series Servant, about a young couple who adopt a lifelike therapy doll to cope with the tragic loss of their infant son.—
Keith Langston,
People.com,
23 Mar. 2025
Noun
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On Wednesday morning, David Reid, 28, of Winsted turned himself in at police headquarters and was arrested on an outstanding warrant charging him with one count of cruelty to animals.—
Staff report,
Hartford Courant,
20 Mar. 2025
-
Kelly Walker, 29, is charged with child abuse, cruelty to animals and the killing and torture of an animal.—
Chris Spargo,
People.com,
20 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Featuring works by renowned photojournalists and archival footage, the exhibit serves as a record of war crimes committed eight decades apart yet eerily similar in brutality.—
Katya Soldak,
Forbes,
21 Mar. 2025
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Despite being outnumbered 50-to-1 by the Five Families of the Italian mafia, the Westies’ legendary brutality and cunning have given them the leverage necessary to share the spoils through a fragile détente.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
18 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Atrocity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/atrocity. Accessed 1 Apr. 2025.
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