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
Indiewire Staff, IndieWire, 13 Aug. 2024
Their mother was martyred and so was their brother.
—Antoinette Radford, CNN, 9 Aug. 2024
Bradley Gitz, arkansasonline.com, 23 Dec. 2024
Despite his aggrieved martyr act, in truth, the last thing Donald Trump wants is to relitigate the Jan. 6 insurrection for a very simple reason—exposure.
—Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 20 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for martyr 
Verb
Herzog wasn’t martyred for his art, and he should be relieved by that.
—Indiewire Staff, IndieWire, 13 Aug. 2024
Their mother was martyred and so was their brother.
—Antoinette Radford, CNN, 9 Aug. 2024
Noun
Which is also why Bragg's show trial backfired, making Trump a martyr and helping propel him back into the White House (most people don't like politicized justice, and will side with the victims of it, however otherwise unsavory).
—Bradley Gitz, arkansasonline.com, 23 Dec. 2024
Despite his aggrieved martyr act, in truth, the last thing Donald Trump wants is to relitigate the Jan. 6 insurrection for a very simple reason—exposure.
—Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 20 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for martyr
Recent Examples of Synonyms for martyr
Verb
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On screen, viewers witness Mormon soldiers disguised as Native Americans attacking a group of pioneers traveling westward.Monica Mercuri, Forbes, 11 Jan. 2025
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Based on open-source evidence and the man’s own social-media content, the group traced him to a brigade in Gaza that had attacked residential areas, religious sites, markets, and schools where civilians were present.Annie Hylton, The New Yorker, 11 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Aiming for the cheaper end of the market inevitably means that technology sacrifices have to be made.Paul Ridden, New Atlas, 13 Jan. 2025
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In the decades since her mission, advances in technology have reduced the need for such sacrifices.Scott Travers, Forbes, 11 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Antetokounmpo dominated the game as a facilitator, torturing the Spurs’ help defenders with his passing, tallying eight assists to go along with his 25 points and 16 rebounds.Eric Nehm, The Athletic, 9 Jan. 2025
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During the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos, who ruled the Philippines from 1972 to 1986, the United States trained and funded a Philippine army that tortured, jailed, and disappeared thousands of dissidents.Foreign Affairs, Foreign Affairs, 7 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Green Bay, losers of two straight games, opened as a 3.5-point underdog, but that line has climbed to 4.5 points this week.Rob Reischel, Forbes, 12 Jan. 2025
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That would encourage a new period of aggression by Russia, China, North Korea, and a nuclear-capable Iran, in which America — and Trump — will be the losers.Trudy Rubin, The Mercury News, 11 Jan. 2025
Verb
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While understandable, simply passing the problem off to another part of the organization ensures that this person will continue to torment future colleagues in other teams.Charlotte Sweeney OBE, Forbes, 8 Jan. 2025
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The Rams, winners of five straight, have the passing game chops to torment the Commanders’ secondary, especially if Lattimore isn’t back from his hamstring injury.Ben Standig, The Athletic, 31 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Watching, Emily grows anguished at her mother’s distraction.Russell Shaw, The Atlantic, 3 Jan. 2025
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South Korean officials on Monday began the slow, painstaking process of piecing together the many body parts found in the wreckage after the country’s worst plane crash in decades, as hundreds of relatives, waiting to receive the victims’ bodies, grew more anguished by the hour.John Yoon, New York Times, 30 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Charles also joined a Catholic congregation supporting a charity helping Christians persecuted across the Middle East and the globe.Simon Perry, People.com, 2 Jan. 2025
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Under Stalin, more and more intellectuals, dissidents, prisoners of war, rich farmers and innocent people were persecuted, arrested and purged.Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Dec. 2024
Verb
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The Bulls were plagued by injuries, mainly to Lonzo Ball and Zach LaVine, and never finished better than sixth in the Eastern Conference with DeRozan in tow.Chris Biderman, Sacramento Bee, 12 Jan. 2025
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Such reckless actions weaken U.S. foreign policy and show U.S. policymaking is plagued by short-sightedness and an absence of strategic empathy—causing grand delusions and great tragedies.Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 10 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near martyr
Cite this Entry
“Martyr.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/martyr. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.
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