as in severity
biting sharpness of feeling or expression
I was surprised by the virulence of the criticism
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of virulence
Donald Trump’s back-to-back tirades this week against Somali immigrants in Minnesota, many of whom are U.S. citizens, brought into the open the kind of virulence that, during his first term, the President mostly tried to keep behind closed doors.
—
Cristian Farias, New Yorker, 4 Dec. 2025
One Pasteurella-like microbe carried genetic hints of virulence and has ties to deadly outbreaks in modern African elephants.
—Pranjal Malewar, New Atlas, 30 Sep. 2025
While VUMs require more testing to establish their true risks to public health, VOIs are explicitly confirmed to have genetic changes that affect virus characteristics like transmissibility and virulence.
—Jack Knudson, Discover Magazine, 9 June 2025
Despite that virulence, some forms of plague did ultimately die out.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 29 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for virulence
Cristian Farias, New Yorker, 4 Dec. 2025
One Pasteurella-like microbe carried genetic hints of virulence and has ties to deadly outbreaks in modern African elephants.
—Pranjal Malewar, New Atlas, 30 Sep. 2025
While VUMs require more testing to establish their true risks to public health, VOIs are explicitly confirmed to have genetic changes that affect virus characteristics like transmissibility and virulence.
—Jack Knudson, Discover Magazine, 9 June 2025
Despite that virulence, some forms of plague did ultimately die out.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 29 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for virulence
Recent Examples of Synonyms for virulence
Noun
-
Orkin's bed bug treatment methods may include targeted applications, heat treatments or a combination of strategies, depending on the severity.—
Alora Bopray,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
-
The department said the driver's seat was the only part of the car that remained intact, but despite the severity of the crash, the driver suffered only minor injuries.—
Christopher Harris,
CBS News,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
For example, maror, or bitter herbs, represent the bitterness of slavery.—
Lucia Cheng,
Des Moines Register,
1 Apr. 2026
-
The rest of the band joins in as Ayewa calls for the listener to look up to a world above war, bitterness, and division.—
Steve Donofrio,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Iran war has entered its fifth week with hostilities escalating across the region.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
31 Mar. 2026
-
After all, a bit more than a decade later, hostilities would explode anew in the Arab-Israeli War of 1967, during which Nasser shut the canal again.—
Ishaan Tharoor,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Officers arrested Granger on Tuesday and charged him with rape, aggravated assault, malice murder, and two counts of felony murder.—
Dan Raby,
CBS News,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Peterson said there was no evidence of malice by Dance and that good faith is presumed for public officers.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Mclusky were always rooted more in bile than hormones, contempt and wit over quick-burn idealism.—
Alex Robert Ross,
Pitchfork,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Dolphins great and media star Jim Mandich suffered from bile-duct cancer in 2010.—
Dave Hyde,
Sun Sentinel,
26 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The virulency of Covid-19 trained even those of us who shop locally out of principal to purchase online.—
Marc Peruzzi,
Outside Online,
2 Mar. 2021
Cite this Entry
“Virulence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/virulence. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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