as in attacking
to kill (someone) for refusing to give up a belief or cause
—usually used as (be) martyred
He was martyred for his religious beliefs.
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Recent Examples of martyring
Talking about potential attacks, martyring themselves for ISIS.
—
David J. Lopez, CNN Money, 4 Nov. 2025
David J. Lopez, CNN Money, 4 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for martyring
Verb
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The adjective ‘brave’ should never be used in reference to a person attacking a dead person.—
Tracy Wright,
FOXNews.com,
2 Apr. 2026
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Trump reacted by attacking Springsteen over his physical appearance and urging his MAGA fanbase to boycott the tour.—
Zack Sharf,
Variety,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Two recent cases of parents in Round Lake Beach and Fox Lake charged with several counts each of torturing and abusing their children — in one case allegedly causing a son’s death — point to the need for some sort of parental licensing.—
Charles Selle,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Mar. 2026
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The Ayatollah ruled as a brutal dictator, killing and torturing his own people, imposing harsh restrictions on basic freedoms, and put the lives of our troops and global allies constantly at risk.—
Derek Tran,
Oc Register,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But so often left unsaid by Gu are the moral ambiguities that come with choosing to represent a country that has been heavily criticized by Human Rights Watch, among other watchdog groups, for denying rights of freedom of expression and for persecuting government critics.—
Zak Keefer,
New York Times,
17 Feb. 2026
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The term refers to biblical passages in which Jesus described Jews in specific communities who were persecuting the early Christians.—
Jennifer Berry Hawes,
ProPublica,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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With the help of journalist Gerrick Kennedy, the memoir details Brandy's meteoric rise to fame as a young teen while volleying ambition, exhaustion and self-doubt, moving through a predatory and tormenting industry and being misunderstood in the public eye.—
Taijuan Moorman,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
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In another, more recent case, three Wyoming men were charged with tormenting a moose by trying to ride it.—
Wendy Keefover,
Denver Post,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Trump has singled out Moore for criticism, blaming him for a Potomac sewage spill, assailing his handing of Baltimore's bridge collapse and invoking a controversy over his military record.—
Francesca Chambers,
USA Today,
18 Feb. 2026
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Horvath, 43, has been one of the mayor’s most outspoken critics over the past year, assailing her record on homelessness and last year’s Palisades fire, which destroyed thousands of homes and left 12 people dead.—
David Zahniser,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
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For Yuldosheva and her neighbors, finding their landlord is one of many problems afflicting their six-story building near Yankee Stadium.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 Apr. 2026
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When Pharaoh refused, God sent the 10 plagues to Egypt as punishment, destroying crops and livestock and afflicting the people, according to the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews.—
Lucia Cheng,
Des Moines Register,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Israel tried to take over Gaza City before in this war, besieging it and launching raids in its streets, but tens of thousands of people remained.—
Aya Batrawy,
NPR,
5 Sep. 2025
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And while politicians know that there are costs to besieging an independent central bank – financial markets may react negatively or inflation may flare up – short-term control of a powerful policy tool can prove irresistible.—
Ana Carolina Garriga,
The Conversation,
26 Aug. 2025
Verb
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They were accused of minor infractions, such as cursing, missing a day of work or bringing a personal cellphone into the administration building.—
Erik Ortiz,
NBC news,
27 Mar. 2026
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Shaffer-Brockwell could be heard on video repeatedly cursing at the officer before biting his wrist while trying to avoid being handcuffed.—
Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
21 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Martyring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/martyring. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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