as in suicide
the suffering and death of a martyr
He suffered martyrdom for his religious beliefs.
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Recent Examples of martyrdom
But while Americans saw the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as a way to weaken his regime, there’s some reason to think that Khamenei welcomed his own martyrdom as a way to strengthen it.
—
Nicholas D. Kristof, Mercury News, 10 Mar. 2026
The assassination of Khamenei, an octogenarian whose ideology considers martyrdom a religious reward, has galvanized his supporters.
—Rania Abouzeid, New Yorker, 5 Mar. 2026
Written on the bandana, in Urdu and English, were slogans indicating the wearer’s readiness for martyrdom.
—Sophia Saifi, CNN Money, 3 Feb. 2026
That shift — from individual heroics and martyrdom to collective problem-solving — is one of the quiet skills portfolio careers demand.
—Alli Kushner, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for martyrdom
Nicholas D. Kristof, Mercury News, 10 Mar. 2026
The assassination of Khamenei, an octogenarian whose ideology considers martyrdom a religious reward, has galvanized his supporters.
—Rania Abouzeid, New Yorker, 5 Mar. 2026
Written on the bandana, in Urdu and English, were slogans indicating the wearer’s readiness for martyrdom.
—Sophia Saifi, CNN Money, 3 Feb. 2026
That shift — from individual heroics and martyrdom to collective problem-solving — is one of the quiet skills portfolio careers demand.
—Alli Kushner, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for martyrdom
Recent Examples of Synonyms for martyrdom
fatality
Noun
-
The majority of these strikes happen during the summer, causing around 20 fatalities each year, according to the NWS.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Two of those fatalities were victims of a shooting at a detention facility last September.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
5 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Martyrdom.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/martyrdom. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.
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