as in to afflict
to cause persistent suffering to
plagued by a cough for all of last week
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in epidemic
a widespread disease resulting in a high rate of death
the Black Death was a plague that killed about one third of Europe's population in the Middle Ages
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of plague
Nicholas Rice, PEOPLE, 14 Sep. 2025
Voters are also well aware of the personal problems that plague Paxton.
—Kimberly Ross, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 29 Aug. 2025
For the first time, researchers have found direct genetic evidence of the bacterium (Yersinia pestis) responsible for the plague.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for plague
Verb
In recent months, Justin and Hailey's relationship has been plagued by divorce rumors.
—Nicholas Rice, PEOPLE, 14 Sep. 2025
Voters are also well aware of the personal problems that plague Paxton.
—Kimberly Ross, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
Noun
The New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) has reported the first case of human plague in 2025.
—Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 29 Aug. 2025
For the first time, researchers have found direct genetic evidence of the bacterium (Yersinia pestis) responsible for the plague.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for plague
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plague
Verb
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Health advocates fear this could lead to higher rates of illness among children, which could worsen the health care disparities that already afflict the Black community.—
Nicquel Terry Ellis,
CNN Money,
14 Sep. 2025
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Measles is a highly contagious, vaccine-preventable disease caused by a virus that primarily and most severely afflicts children.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Flores says Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, who is a leading candidate for governor of California, hid the causes of a mounting epidemic of jail deaths behind a culture of cover-up and retaliation.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
19 Sep. 2025
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Courageous advocates, tireless researchers and others emerged as a coalition to fight the epidemic.—
Pearl Pugh,
Forbes.com,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The former human-rights lawyer entered on a tourist visa and filed for political asylum in October of that year, claiming the governments that succeeded Correa were persecuting him.—
Syra Ortiz Blanes,
Miami Herald,
12 Sep. 2025
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The decree eliminated many of the civil liberties in Germany, opening the way for the Nazis to persecute their opponents.—
The Editors,
JSTOR Daily,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Judith is the recipient of the pestilence, Agnes stays by her side, Dad is M.I.A.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
8 Sep. 2025
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While pestilence crept over the walls of cities and the countryside fell into desolation—many foreign conquerors of Europe knew how to fight and plunder but not to plow or sow—the monks preserved words.—
Bernd Roeck
June 16,
Literary Hub,
16 June 2025
Verb
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Seven Bay Staters were indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly conspiring to kidnap and torture a man earlier this year.—
Rick Sobey,
Boston Herald,
16 Sep. 2025
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Customers rarely remember the exact response time, unless they were tortured with on-repeat elevator music.—
Tayfun Bilsel,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Previous recommendations, widely supported by pediatric experts, called for the use of a vaccine that addressed four different illnesses, measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox.—
Paul Sisson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
20 Sep. 2025
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The alert covers products distributed nationally and highlights ongoing concerns over foodborne illnesses and the safety of ready-to-eat meals.—
James Bickerton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Through the first-person narration of his protagonist, Nicholas, a teenager suddenly besieged by anxiety, Clune conveys with uncanny vividness what a panic attack feels like.—
Scott Stossel,
The Atlantic,
9 Sep. 2025
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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
Noun
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Monitor the bulbs and use a pest repellent to keep hungry squirrels from digging up the bulbs and eating them.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
17 Sep. 2025
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If lots of leaves on the plant are yellowing all at once, your monstera may have been invaded by pests.—
Leanne Potts,
Better Homes & Gardens,
17 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Plague.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plague. Accessed 22 Sep. 2025.
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