as in severity
biting sharpness of feeling or expression
I was surprised by the virulence of the criticism
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Recent Examples of virulence
When a plague of unprecedented virulence sweeps the globe, the human race is all but wiped out.
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Leo Barraclough, Variety, 1 Oct. 2024
Those cases have decreased significantly in the U.S. The current strain, called clade 1b, is worrisome because of its virulence.
—Erika Edwards, NBC News, 5 Aug. 2024
In Earth Abides, when a plague of unprecedented virulence sweeps the globe, the human race is all but wiped out.
—Lynette Rice, Deadline, 25 June 2024
The virus may also be growing weaker in virulence but more infectious over time.
—T. Jacob John, Foreign Affairs, 11 Sep. 2020
See all Example Sentences for virulence 
Leo Barraclough, Variety, 1 Oct. 2024
Those cases have decreased significantly in the U.S. The current strain, called clade 1b, is worrisome because of its virulence.
—Erika Edwards, NBC News, 5 Aug. 2024
In Earth Abides, when a plague of unprecedented virulence sweeps the globe, the human race is all but wiped out.
—Lynette Rice, Deadline, 25 June 2024
The virus may also be growing weaker in virulence but more infectious over time.
—T. Jacob John, Foreign Affairs, 11 Sep. 2020
See all Example Sentences for virulence
Recent Examples of Synonyms for virulence
Noun
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Now, Miami head coach Mike McDaniel has offered a huge update on the severity of Waddle's injury.Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 17 Dec. 2024
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The release noted that front-end height determines the point of impact on a pedestrian’s body, which is a key factor in the severity of injuries.Eric D. Lawrence, Detroit Free Press, 10 Dec. 2024
Noun
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TikTok has long denied having any links to the Chinese government, and the federal government has not made public any of the specific intelligence it’s used to justify its hostility against the company.Alison Durkee, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2024
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The Jordanian government announced the closure of the crossing amid the hostility.Brady Knox, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 6 Dec. 2024
Noun
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And not out of malice necessarily, some people are just so in their heads about their own stuff.Brande Victorian, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Dec. 2024
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The Iranian regime’s malice is aimed not only at the United States or the Jews.Diane Gensler, Baltimore Sun, 20 Nov. 2024
Noun
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This occurs because bile builds up in the blood, which contains a yellow waste substance called bilirubin.Brittany Risher, SELF, 6 Dec. 2024
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Beatles ‘64 reminds viewers just how much skepticism and outright bile the band faced upon their American arrival, chiefly from males of a certain age.Jordan Runtagh, People.com, 6 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near virulence
Cite this Entry
“Virulence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/virulence. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
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