1
as in nightmare
a situation or state that causes great suffering and unhappiness
it's torture for me to see you so unhappy
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in agony
a state of great suffering of body or mind
spent an afternoon in torture waiting to hear whether her brother had made it home safely
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to plague
to cause persistent suffering to
the neighbor's dog constantly tortures our cat, barking at him and chasing him down the street
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2
as in to distort
to twist (something) out of a natural or normal shape or condition
tortured her naturally straight hair into curls
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of torture
Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 16 Sep. 2025
After six hours of mistakes, misadventures, indifferent torture and even more indifferent murder, Black Rabbit finally locks in for 90 minutes in the homestretch as the last two episodes become a breathless pursuit through various parts of Brooklyn.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 16 Sep. 2025
NPR, 10 Sep. 2025
The use of El Salvador's CECOT prison was denounced by human rights groups and Democrats in Congress for its reputation as a place where prisoners were tortured and never released.
—Dan Gooding, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for torture
Noun
The defendants allegedly displayed their torture of the victim through a videocall to his phone contacts.
—Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 16 Sep. 2025
After six hours of mistakes, misadventures, indifferent torture and even more indifferent murder, Black Rabbit finally locks in for 90 minutes in the homestretch as the last two episodes become a breathless pursuit through various parts of Brooklyn.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 16 Sep. 2025
Verb
That’s partly because the defendants were tortured in secret CIA prisons, so there are ongoing legal fights over what evidence is admissible.
—NPR, 10 Sep. 2025
The use of El Salvador's CECOT prison was denounced by human rights groups and Democrats in Congress for its reputation as a place where prisoners were tortured and never released.
—Dan Gooding, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for torture
Recent Examples of Synonyms for torture
Noun
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The stage was set for another installment of Scott’s recurring nightmare.—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
13 Sep. 2025
-
Pixels continue to receive OS upgrades months before Samsungs, a continuing nightmare for the brand.—
Zak Doffman,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Americans can channel the collective agony and frustration to encourage meaningful change, cooling down the division, making gun laws safer, opening genuinely constructive discussions, informing the public about the risks and calling on lawmakers to take real action.—
Arash Javanbakht,
The Conversation,
15 Sep. 2025
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Other paintings by those presently or formerly incarcerated reflect on the agony of prison itself.—
Ray Mark Rinaldi,
Denver Post,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In 1988, a catastrophic heat wave and drought plagued the United States, killing thousands of people and triggering over $80 billion in damage.—
Zack Savitsky,
Quanta Magazine,
15 Sep. 2025
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Getty Images The Department of Education posted a new update on Monday on massive application backlogs plaguing several federal student loan forgiveness and repayment programs.—
Adam S. Minsky,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
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But the speakers broke up and distorted at this volume.—
Eric Zeman,
PC Magazine,
17 Sep. 2025
-
Messy data wrecks forecasts, distorts reporting and wastes time.—
Thasha Batts,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The Industrial Revolution brought widespread misery in the form of brutal factory working conditions.—
P.E. Moskowitz
September 11,
Literary Hub,
11 Sep. 2025
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The era [or error] is close to an end, so do your best to enjoy the final moments, recall all the good times before misery and depression sets in.—
Omar Kelly,
Miami Herald,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Those with suicide ideation might attempt suicide, but these attempts often represent a desire to escape distress as opposed to end-of-life issues.—
Eric Wood,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
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In Pennsylvania, lawmakers have still not broken out of the impasse, spelling financial distress for schools and counties that rely particularly heavily on state funding.—
Isabella Volmert,
Fortune,
16 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
Verb
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Portable smart tire pressure monitors screw onto the valve stem and connect to your phone, offering real-time updates and alerts for slow leaks.—
Melanie Marshall,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Sep. 2025
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Waterhouse said that screw caps generally make more sense for a wine like rosé, which isn’t intended to age, while cork is the standard for aging wines.—
Dee-Ann Durbin,
Fortune,
5 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Torture.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/torture. Accessed 19 Sep. 2025.
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