1
as in to plague
to cause persistent suffering to
people who were persecuted simply for practicing their religious faith
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of persecute
During its reign of terror, the Ustaše regime persecuted and murdered hundreds of thousands of Serbs, Jews and Roma, as well as Croatians opposed to their rule.
—
Larry Luxner, Sun Sentinel, 5 May 2025
Individuals who receive asylum have demonstrated they have been persecuted — or will likely be persecuted — because of their religion, race, social status or political opinions if returned to their country of origin.
—Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 21 Apr. 2025
Also called the Law of Democratic Memory, the ley de nietos, set to expire October 21, 2025, grants descendants of Spaniards persecuted during the Spanish Civil War and subsequent Francisco Franco dictatorship a path to Spanish citizenship.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 14 Apr. 2025
Recent refugees include Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion, Afghans who served the U.S. military and now face threats under the Taliban, and persecuted religious and ethnic minorities like Uyghurs, Bahá’ís, and Iranian Christians.
—Sophie Hills, Christian Science Monitor, 11 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for persecute
Larry Luxner, Sun Sentinel, 5 May 2025
Individuals who receive asylum have demonstrated they have been persecuted — or will likely be persecuted — because of their religion, race, social status or political opinions if returned to their country of origin.
—Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 21 Apr. 2025
Also called the Law of Democratic Memory, the ley de nietos, set to expire October 21, 2025, grants descendants of Spaniards persecuted during the Spanish Civil War and subsequent Francisco Franco dictatorship a path to Spanish citizenship.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 14 Apr. 2025
Recent refugees include Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion, Afghans who served the U.S. military and now face threats under the Taliban, and persecuted religious and ethnic minorities like Uyghurs, Bahá’ís, and Iranian Christians.
—Sophie Hills, Christian Science Monitor, 11 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for persecute
Recent Examples of Synonyms for persecute
Verb
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But travel remains plagued by inefficiencies with disconnected booking systems, delays without real-time resolution and reliance on legacy infrastructure and software that slow rather than facilitate the journey.—
Omry Litvak,
Forbes.com,
23 May 2025
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In a region plagued by foreign interference and democratic decline, Traoré's message resonates with disillusioned youth.—
Amir Daftari,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 May 2025
Verb
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Orlando Sentinel Residents also allege the neighbor erected phallic objects on a fence at his home to annoy them.—
Stephen Hudak,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 May 2025
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Cahill also spoke about how the political nature of the case annoyed him, as politicians spoke out about Floyd's death, and some called for system-wide change.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
People.com,
25 May 2025
Verb
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Recent research suggests that the global area afflicted by lethal heat waves would triple in size in coming decades even if global climate agreements — which President Trump exited on his first day in office — were kept.—
Saul Elbein,
The Hill,
14 May 2025
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An estimated 75,000 people are afflicted with this disease in our country.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
8 May 2025
Verb
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After years of ‘losing culture,’ can the new-look Chicago Bears turn things around on defense? Chicago Bears safety Kevin Byard didn’t bother mincing words.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
27 May 2025
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Users do have to purchase such gadgets, learn how to utilize them, and put them on their body, however, which are all steps that many folks simply won't bother taking.—
Ben Coxworth,
New Atlas,
26 May 2025
Verb
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Investigators say the group allegedly lured the former business partner back from Italy to access his cryptocurrency account and then kidnapped and tortured him for weeks.—
Adeola Adeosun,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 May 2025
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Turquoise Morton, 38, is charged with abandoning a domestic animal and animal cruelty for allegedly torturing, tormenting, or maiming a dog.—
Muri Assunção,
New York Daily News,
20 May 2025
Verb
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There are pull-ups made with Velcro that can irritate your child’s skin, especially when misaligned.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
23 May 2025
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Sturdy posts at the front of the shoes connect to a flip-flop style design that won’t irritate or chafe your skin, while the supportive insoles are far better-suited for days spent on your feet than flimsy, cheaper sandals.—
Merrell Readman,
Travel + Leisure,
23 May 2025
Verb
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San Francisco’s Animal Care and Control was besieged with calls about the dangerous encounters with the problematic Crissy Field animal.—
Heather Knight,
New York Times,
19 May 2025
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In its 18-month campaign in Gaza, Israel has stood out by carrying out an open campaign on hospitals, besieging and raiding them, some several times, as well as hitting multiple others in strikes while accusing Hamas of using them as cover for its fighters.—
Samy Magdy,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Apr. 2025
Verb
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But this is not the case in Season 2, and it’s been bugging me to no end.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2025
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In less than a minute, Judge posed both the problem and the solution that will bug the Yankees for as long as Soto is doing his shuffle.—
Brendan Kuty,
New York Times,
16 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Persecute.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/persecute. Accessed 2 Jun. 2025.
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