1
as in to plague
to cause persistent suffering to
people who were persecuted simply for practicing their religious faith
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to annoy
to disturb the peace of mind of (someone) especially by repeated disagreeable acts
she likes to persecute her sister with pointless, annoying questions at very inopportune times
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of persecute
Open Doors is a global organization that supports and speaks up for Christians persecuted for their faith.
—
Paul Tilsley, FOXNews.com, 17 Aug. 2025
Reyes and his family left Nicaragua after being persecuted for their political activism, and sought asylum at the southern border, Hernandez said.
—Graham Hurley, CNN Money, 9 Aug. 2025
In other words, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you.
—Derek Robertson, The Washington Examiner, 8 Aug. 2025
In late-night filings Thursday, the Manhattan U.S. attorney’s office pushed back on recent framing by Combs’ lawyers portraying him as persecuted.
—Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 1 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for persecute
Paul Tilsley, FOXNews.com, 17 Aug. 2025
Reyes and his family left Nicaragua after being persecuted for their political activism, and sought asylum at the southern border, Hernandez said.
—Graham Hurley, CNN Money, 9 Aug. 2025
In other words, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you.
—Derek Robertson, The Washington Examiner, 8 Aug. 2025
In late-night filings Thursday, the Manhattan U.S. attorney’s office pushed back on recent framing by Combs’ lawyers portraying him as persecuted.
—Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 1 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for persecute
Recent Examples of Synonyms for persecute
Verb
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The Tigers have been plagued by poor starting pitching, a thin bullpen and an offense that hasn’t played with the same spark since the All-Star break.—
Cody Stavenhagen,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
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Aligning With San Francisco’s Health Care Security Ordinance San Francisco’s Health Care Security Ordinance was designed to expand access, but the system has long been plagued by complexity.—
Chelsea Davis,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Comments about my fast walk annoy me.—
Abigail Van Buren,
Boston Herald,
5 Sep. 2025
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Keanu, still annoyed from the veto ceremony, talked to Ava Pearl in the HOH room and called Rachel a liar.—
David Wysong,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Those who dismissed intersectionality saw such policies as little more than allowing the disadvantaged to commit crimes without consequences to make up for past inequities, afflicting crime victims from the same disadvantaged communities.—
John Scott Lewinski,
The Washington Examiner,
5 Sep. 2025
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Griffin, who does clinical work in Long Island, New York, said his sister-in-law is in her 40s and quite wary of long COVID, the enduring, debilitating health issues that have afflicted millions of Americans who contracted the coronavirus.—
Jorge L. Ortiz,
USA Today,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The acting didn’t bother me, but the directing did.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Sep. 2025
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If the odds of winning the lottery are so low, why do people bother playing?—
Charles Trepany,
USA Today,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Emily Brontë appears in every way indifferent to the need for love and companionship that tortured the lives of her sisters.—
Emily Temple
September 5,
Literary Hub,
5 Sep. 2025
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Jamie Simpson of Covington was sentenced in March to 60 years in prison for holding his wife captive and torturing her for hours before barricading himself inside her home in a lengthy standoff with police.—
Quinlan Bentley,
The Enquirer,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Sulfur dioxide and resulting vog (volcanic smog) can irritate eyes and respiratory systems, particularly in people with asthma and other chronic lung conditions, according to the Hawaii State Department of Health.—
Daniel Orton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Sep. 2025
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Not to mention, fragrances can irritate the skin.—
Elisabeth Sherman,
Parents,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Israel tried to take over Gaza City before in this war, besieging it and launching raids in its streets, but tens of thousands of people remained.—
Aya Batrawy,
NPR,
5 Sep. 2025
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Landslide in western Sudan kills at least 1,000 A landslide in western Sudan killed at least 1,000 people, intensifying hardship in a country besieged by years of civil war.—
Tasneem Nashrulla,
semafor.com,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Fort Worth bed bugs The B-plot of Episode 7 has Peggy setting up a Little Free Library in her front yard in an effort to build community.—
Jake Harris,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
29 Aug. 2025
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His not winning it was considered a failure, and that bugged him.—
Brody Miller,
New York Times,
21 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Persecute.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/persecute. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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