1
as in whips
a long thin or flexible tool for striking
the museum display included a scourge, thumbscrews, and other notorious instruments of torture
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in nemeses
one who inflicts punishment in return for an injury or offense
the attorney general, who just happens to be a candidate for governor, is a self-proclaimed scourge of organized crime
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in curses
a source of harm or misfortune
the sheer ubiquity of food is proving to be the scourge of humanity, as evidenced by the obesity epidemic
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in ravages
to bring destruction to (something) through violent action
barbarians scourged the countryside, leaving village after village burned to the ground
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in hides
to strike repeatedly with something long and thin or flexible
scourge the tree with a whip to loosen the bark
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of scourges
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Kansas City Star, 1 Apr. 2026
Measles, among the most contagious diseases, is typically the first to infect undervaccinated communities and serves as a warning that other scourges will follow.
—Patricia Callahan, ProPublica, 19 Mar. 2026
What the novel is working toward is not the exposure of a violation, let alone the processing of any real-life event, but a recognition of the self—a self who survives the scourges of childhood, and a storytelling-self who learns that fiction can reveal otherwise unsayable truths.
—Honor Jones, The Atlantic, 3 Mar. 2026
With new funding, America can continue to lead the historic effort to eliminate ancient scourges.
—Stewart Simonson, Washington Post, 2 Mar. 2026
The administration abruptly halted USAID's global health work, which had saved millions of lives from scourges like AIDS, malaria and malnutrition over the course of six decades.
—Npr Staff, NPR, 23 Jan. 2026
At the film’s outset, Inez kidnaps her young son Terry from foster care shortly after her release from prison, and A Thousand and One chronicles her attempt to parent despite the scourges of abuse, police brutality and systemic racism.
—Emma Specter, Vogue, 18 Oct. 2025
Individualism, selfishness—these are scourges for your team’s success.
—Don Yaeger, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
First each member, in turn, would prostrate himself while the others, marching in a circle, stepped over him and struck him with their scourges.
—Michael Robbins, Harpers Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025
Noun
Greenhouses provide protection from scourges like tomato blight, which ravages otherwise beautiful crops in areas with cool, rainy weather.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Kansas City Star, 1 Apr. 2026
Measles, among the most contagious diseases, is typically the first to infect undervaccinated communities and serves as a warning that other scourges will follow.
—Patricia Callahan, ProPublica, 19 Mar. 2026
What the novel is working toward is not the exposure of a violation, let alone the processing of any real-life event, but a recognition of the self—a self who survives the scourges of childhood, and a storytelling-self who learns that fiction can reveal otherwise unsayable truths.
—Honor Jones, The Atlantic, 3 Mar. 2026
With new funding, America can continue to lead the historic effort to eliminate ancient scourges.
—Stewart Simonson, Washington Post, 2 Mar. 2026
The administration abruptly halted USAID's global health work, which had saved millions of lives from scourges like AIDS, malaria and malnutrition over the course of six decades.
—Npr Staff, NPR, 23 Jan. 2026
At the film’s outset, Inez kidnaps her young son Terry from foster care shortly after her release from prison, and A Thousand and One chronicles her attempt to parent despite the scourges of abuse, police brutality and systemic racism.
—Emma Specter, Vogue, 18 Oct. 2025
Individualism, selfishness—these are scourges for your team’s success.
—Don Yaeger, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
First each member, in turn, would prostrate himself while the others, marching in a circle, stepped over him and struck him with their scourges.
—Michael Robbins, Harpers Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scourges
Noun
-
Johnson is one of two majority whips.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
26 Mar. 2026
-
As the wind whips, many tents blow over and collapse.—
Storey Wertheimer,
NBC news,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Related Stories Essiedu is set to play potions master Snape — one of Potter’s nemeses — in the upcoming streaming adaptation, a role previously played by Alan Rickman.—
K.J. Yossman,
Variety,
21 Mar. 2026
-
Pete McBride Advertisement Five and half decades ago, two Colorado River nemeses, Floyd Dominy of the Bureau of Reclamation (pro-dam) and David Brower of the Sierra Club (anti-dam), did just that.—
Pete McBride,
Time,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Pay multiple people from the crafts site Etsy to perform tarot readings, lift any existing curses and otherwise engage in witchcraft.—
Tyler Estep,
AJC.com,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Indeed, various curses and slurs could be heard shouted from the audience at London's Royal Festival Hall, even during some segments broadcast to audiences in England and abroad.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
22 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
As of early Monday morning, nearly 150 flights at MIA had been impacted, and that's expected to increase as the winter storm ravages the Northeast and mid-Atlantic.—
February 23,
CBS News,
23 Feb. 2026
-
The tall green trees pop against the clear blue sky, until a wildfire ravages the forest and changes Grainger’s life.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Indeed, few movies have ever been more damning or prescient in their condemnation of the health industrial complex, which hides all manner of sins under the guise of physical improvement.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
27 Mar. 2026
-
In the 1995 film, Carrey’s pet detective character hides inside a fake rhinocerous to spy on unscrupulous types in a safari setting.—
Dewayne Bevil,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The vigilantes who hanged her were self-serving cattlemen.—
Sandra Dallas,
Denver Post,
28 Mar. 2026
-
In the Season 2 premiere, the task force is destroying local businesses on Fisk’s orders and cracking down on vigilantes prowling the streets.—
Jordan Moreau,
Variety,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The Administration’s treatment of immigration officers as a vulnerable group rests on claims that agents now face unprecedented threats.—
Oriana van Praag,
New Yorker,
28 Mar. 2026
-
According to Hartling, school officials have since learned that similar threats were directed at other schools across the state.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The extreme heat kills the plant tissue immediately and typically destroys the roots of many weed species.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Kansas City Star,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Intrigued, the Duke secretly seduces Gilda, breaks her heart and destroys Rigoletto’s life.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
22 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scourges.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scourges. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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