1
as in to persecute
to cause persistent suffering to
got into more trouble, further agonizing her poor mother
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to grieve
to feel deep sadness or mental pain
agonized for days over whether she'd done the right thing
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of agonize
Some parents on flights agonize over the idea of their young child causing midair disruption.
—
Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 May 2025
Worse, Liu’s one-dimensional moll spends the majority of her supporting screen time agonizing over toxic men, despite the actor’s best efforts to elevate the material.
—Courtney Howard, Variety, 20 Feb. 2025
The only person with anything resembling nuance of complexity is Caleb, the white cop who agonizes over having pulled the trigger.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 20 Mar. 2025
Organizations often spend too much time agonizing over how to articulate and execute the perfect AI strategy.
—Clint Boulton, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for agonize
Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 May 2025
Worse, Liu’s one-dimensional moll spends the majority of her supporting screen time agonizing over toxic men, despite the actor’s best efforts to elevate the material.
—Courtney Howard, Variety, 20 Feb. 2025
The only person with anything resembling nuance of complexity is Caleb, the white cop who agonizes over having pulled the trigger.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 20 Mar. 2025
Organizations often spend too much time agonizing over how to articulate and execute the perfect AI strategy.
—Clint Boulton, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for agonize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for agonize
Verb
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In 1968 a Jewish Dutch woman named Selma Vos was persecuted to death along with her husband, Cao Richang, an eminent psychologist who had helped found the Institute of Psychology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.—
Nan Z. Da
June 10,
Literary Hub,
10 June 2025
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Abrego Garcia was subject to a 2019 withholding order by a judge forbidding his removal to El Salvador because of concerns he would be persecuted there.—
Dan Mangan,
CNBC,
6 June 2025
Verb
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The achievement of Alcock and Brown came just months after the end of the First World War, at a moment when too many families were grieving the loss of an airman brother, father, or son.—
David Rooney
June 5,
Literary Hub,
5 June 2025
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Logue will play Holt Keane, a father grieving the loss of his family.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
4 June 2025
Verb
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Inside a Palm Beach County courtroom, Judge Kathleen Kroll is trying to tackle a problem that has plagued Florida schools in recent years: An alarming number of students aren’t showing up for school.—
Scott Travis,
Sun Sentinel,
5 June 2025
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The wallet aims to solve cross-border payment challenges that have long plagued African creators.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
5 June 2025
Verb
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The necklace is made up of black glass hearts that experts think were meant to imitate jet, a rare gemstone used in mourning jewelry.—
Dewayne Bevil,
The Orlando Sentinel,
12 June 2025
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The music world is mourning Brian Wilson, one of the most influential songwriters of all time.—
Brendan Morrow,
USA Today,
12 June 2025
Verb
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Violent crime, meanwhile, is a scourge afflicting every community.—
Sizwe Mpofu Walsh,
Time,
23 May 2025
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Apart from overcoming the problems that afflicted the last two launches, one of the most important objectives for this flight is to test the performance of Starship's heat shield.—
John Timmer,
ArsTechnica,
22 May 2025
Verb
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No story better exemplifies that ethos than that of the teenage fake bride turned kidnapper who aches for her mother.—
Carole V. Bell,
Los Angeles Times,
3 June 2025
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Although Mel is his ex and she’s moved on with a handsome, charming and super-wealthy NBA star Nick (Mark Tallman), her heart still aches for Coop, which seems to annoy her to no end.—
Rosemary Rossi,
Variety,
31 May 2025
Verb
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The footage includes a scene in which a Hitler look-alike is tortured.—
Ryan Gajewski,
HollywoodReporter,
3 June 2025
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In 2024, Chinese state media reported at least four separate cases of university students allegedly torturing cats.—
Rebecca Wright,
CNN Money,
30 May 2025
Verb
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Indoor rowing doesn’t have quite the same charm of being in a skiff on a river (sigh, if only), but the best rowing machine will still give you a great workout right at home.—
Sara Coughlin,
SELF,
23 May 2025
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To preview upcoming album A Matter of Time, the rising singer-composer lets her frustration simmer above sighing harmonies and ornate string arrangements, producing a beautifully mad opening shot.—
Jason Lipshutz,
Billboard,
16 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Agonize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/agonize. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
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