as in tormenter
a person who causes repeated emotional pain, distress, or annoyance to another
a sadistic torturer of men he regarded as weak, the drillmaster really had it in for one recruit
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Recent Examples of torturer
For decades, generals, coup-plotters, and torturers walked free under the shield of amnesty laws passed after the country’s 21-year dictatorship.
—
Julia Vargas Jones, CNN Money, 12 Sep. 2025
Is the man actually his torturer?
—Zach Dennis, Charlotte Observer, 9 Sep. 2025
Each regime, from the Pahlavi dynasty to the Islamic Republic, claimed to uphold human rights and castigated its predecessors as torturers, only to ratchet up the incarceration of political opponents.
—Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025
Julia Vargas Jones, CNN Money, 12 Sep. 2025
Is the man actually his torturer?
—Zach Dennis, Charlotte Observer, 9 Sep. 2025
Each regime, from the Pahlavi dynasty to the Islamic Republic, claimed to uphold human rights and castigated its predecessors as torturers, only to ratchet up the incarceration of political opponents.
—Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for torturer
Noun
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The actress also shared a few teases for season 2 of Nobody Wants This, which returns to Netflix next month, and brainstormed ideas for Kristen Bell's husband Dax Shepard to join the cast.—
Breanne L. Heldman,
PEOPLE,
15 Sep. 2025
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There was no tease with a quick start, no slow drip of the game slipping away, pretty much no hope at all by the end of the first inning.—
Tim Britton,
New York Times,
13 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Adrianna had a history with Khloe Along with the Christmas photo, police flagged Adrianna over a prior dispute with Khloe, who believed she was being framed as Owen and Lauryn's tormentor.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
12 Sep. 2025
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The tormentor of a quarterback, whose two touchdown runs were eerily similar to those which fashioned Jeanty a household name and top 10 pick, makes the Bulls a larger blip on Florida’s radar than expected.—
Noah White,
Miami Herald,
6 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The documentary tells the true story of a teenage couple relentlessly bullied via text by an anonymous harasser.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The grounds once housed the elaborate palace of first century Roman Emperor Domitian, a persecutor of Christians.—
Angie Leventis Lourgos,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Sep. 2025
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That is a nasty process which involves digging up Ambar’s still-fresh corpse, then subjecting it to various grisly indignities night after night as retribution gets visited upon our heroine’s persecutors.—
Dennis Harvey,
Variety,
6 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Now that someone has DIED FBI has stepped up while my Brothers attacker is wearing an ankle monitor Homeless in Charlotte with ATTEMPTED MURDER CHARGES.—
Andrew Dys,
Charlotte Observer,
15 Sep. 2025
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In 2023, 43% of all cyber attacks targeted small businesses, highlighting how attackers are actively exploiting the security gaps that come with limited budgets and smaller IT teams.—
Ro'ee Margalit,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Torturer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/torturer. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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