as in to attack
to kill (someone) for refusing to give up a belief or cause
—usually used as (be) martyred
He was martyred for his religious beliefs.
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Recent Examples of martyr
Kate Lindsay, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2024
Until that point, no other Afghan leader had ever martyred a son, adopted or otherwise, signifying how values were changing.
—Carter Malkasian, Foreign Affairs, 13 Sep. 2022
Andy Greenberg, WIRED, 21 Jan. 2025
Law enforcement has expressed concern that the suspect is being turned into a martyr, with some supporters advocating for further violence against executives.
—Hannah Parry, Newsweek, 24 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for martyr
Verb
In the years since, Peanut’s various costumes and antics, including jumping through hoops and eating waffles, have earned him hundreds of thousands of Instagram followers, per Social Blade — even before he was martyred.
—Kate Lindsay, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2024
Until that point, no other Afghan leader had ever martyred a son, adopted or otherwise, signifying how values were changing.
—Carter Malkasian, Foreign Affairs, 13 Sep. 2022
Noun
Since then, however, the Trump administration has shifted its stance on Ulbricht’s case—in part, perhaps, due to its embrace of the libertarian cryptocurrency community, for whom Ulbricht has become a martyr and cause célèbre.
—Andy Greenberg, WIRED, 21 Jan. 2025
Law enforcement has expressed concern that the suspect is being turned into a martyr, with some supporters advocating for further violence against executives.
—Hannah Parry, Newsweek, 24 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for martyr
Recent Examples of Synonyms for martyr
Verb
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This was a departure from Mourinho and Conte, who both moaned about investment, attacked the club culture, exited unceremoniously, and bad-mouthed them afterward.—
Zak Garner-Purkis,
Forbes,
23 Mar. 2025
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By the way, it was attacked from the Pentagon and from the White House as being fake news that this was going to happen and Elon Musk denounced the leak.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
23 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Their sacrifices and bravery were foundational to the nation’s independence, and acknowledging their stories ensures a more inclusive and accurate portrayal of American history.—
Will Minter,
Hartford Courant,
26 Mar. 2025
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There were also animal sacrifices that involved smell.—
James Doubek,
NPR,
25 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Maybe the two of them are held prisoner down there for a while, being tortured by Milchick (or whomever is brought in to replace him after two separate catastrophes have happened under his watch).—
Alan Sepinwall,
Rolling Stone,
21 Mar. 2025
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Reyes Barrios, who marched in protests against the Maduro regime in February and March 2024, had been tortured by government officials.—
Trevor Hughes,
USA TODAY,
21 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Since turkeys can’t ask the typical first-date questions to field out the losers, hens have to rely on something else.—
Alice Jones Webb,
Outdoor Life,
21 Mar. 2025
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The fact these losers want to jail Andrew and Tristan Tate for preaching their version of traditional masculinity highlights the fact that these fascist feminists are fragile weaklings incapable of defending their position in the free marketplace of ideas.—
David Catanese,
Miami Herald,
20 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Detective Lee Yeon-hui (played by Shin Hyun-been of Hospital Playlist and Reborn Rich) is assigned to the case and also chases after the suspect, all the while being tormented by visions of her dead sister.—
Regina Kim,
Forbes,
23 Mar. 2025
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The story follows the three Maxwell siblings who grew up as the only Black family in a gated Dallas neighborhood, also tormented by strange and unexplainable demonic happenings in their house.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA TODAY,
21 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Others will be anguishing over Irving (John Turturro) and Burt (Christopher Walken), whose respective and collective fates weren’t addressed at all.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
21 Mar. 2025
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And yet, the film has a pretty expert ensemble — Kevin Spacey won the Oscar, but Annette Bening was even more deserving — and Conrad Hall’s photography captures all the shiny surfaces that contrast with the characters’ anguished inner worlds.—
Will Leitch,
Vulture,
3 Mar. 2025
Verb
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At least two of them fled Venezuela in part because Tren de Aragua was persecuting them, according to the lawsuit.—
Syra Ortiz Blanes,
Miami Herald,
18 Mar. 2025
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Yoon’s conservative supporters have latched on to his arguments as well as his unsubstantiated claims of election fraud, strongly echoing the dynamic between President Donald Trump and supporters who say he has been wrongly persecuted by a corrupt judicial system.—
Beomsu Jo,
NBC News,
8 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Relying heavily on retrospective interviews and self-reporting, these approaches, still widely used in marketing and management, are plagued by recall bias and rationalization.—
Benjamin Voyer,
Forbes,
23 Mar. 2025
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The industry is further plagued by the high incidence of idol suicides and grueling work conditions required for success.—
Chad de Guzman,
TIME,
21 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Martyr.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/martyr. Accessed 3 Apr. 2025.
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