excruciate

verb

ik-ˈskrü-shē-ˌāt How to pronounce excruciate (audio)
Definition of excruciatenext
as in to plague
to cause persistent suffering to she has long been excruciated by an undiagnosed pain in her knee

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of excruciate For example, a person with a hernia who infrequently experiences minor discomfort likely wouldn't be as much of a priority as someone with a hernia that causes excruciating pain every day. — Perry Vandell, azcentral, 25 Apr. 2020 Sometimes their grandchildren are excruciated and appalled by what’s meant to be lightly funny. — Deborah Treisman, The New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2020 Exposed, incapacitated, and in excruciating pain, laboring moms rely on other people—doctors, nurses, midwives, doulas, and especially their partners—for help and support. — Minhae Shim Roth, Glamour, 1 Apr. 2020 One poor woman is left in excruciating pain for 24 hours, and Meredith’s ex-boyfriend Andrew DeLuca (Giacomo Gianniotti) accuses the relative of a patient of being a human trafficker. — Ariana Romero, refinery29.com, 20 Mar. 2020 See All Example Sentences for excruciate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for excruciate
  1. plague
  2. persecute
  3. afflict
  4. torture
  5. torment
  6. besiege
Verb
  • As people suffer the effects of disease, the vampire rises to plague our nightmares.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Based on its survey work, Morgan Stanley believes the issues that plagued the second quarter was macro related and not something structurally tied to the TJX brand.
    — Jeff Marks, CNBC, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of plague
Verb
  • Those governments provide assurances that people won’t be persecuted or tortured, federal attorneys said.
    — Lindsay Whitehurst, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Also, some immigration cases involve people seeking asylum because they are being persecuted by a foreign government and releasing a person’s full name could be considered sensitive or even dangerous.
    — Laura Tillman, Hartford Courant, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of persecute
Verb
  • Engineers have also taken steps to ensure that a CFT-like thruster anomaly doesn't afflict future Starliner flights.
    — Mike Wall, Space.com, 28 Sep. 2026
  • While the epicenter was located in Nantou County in central Taiwan, serious damage afflicted residents across the island as roads buckled, bridges collapsed and landslides destroyed everything in their path.
    — Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of afflict
Verb
  • Some veterans say recruiters deceived them and Haitian authorities tortured them; their families call them scapegoats.
    — Astrid Suárez, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Alas, Hersh was to miss the flight because he was still being held hostage, starving, tortured, and surviving on that date in terrifying confinement.
    — Rachel Goldberg-Polin, Time, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of torture
Verb
  • Though his father’s death torments him, Calvin is an affable, hardworking widower.
    — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The other was a decent man constantly being tormented by God in order to test his faith.
    — Chuck Lorre, Vanity Fair, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of torment
Verb
  • States will assert ownership of fishing grounds, tamper with undersea cables, and, potentially, conquer or besiege islands.
    — Michael Albertus, Foreign Affairs, 30 Sep. 2026
  • The settlers who carried out the attack in Jalud overnight are the same group who besieged the home of a Palestinian-American in the neighboring village of Qusra last month, local residents say.
    — Zeena Saifi, CNN Money, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of besiege

Browse Nearby Words

excreting
excruciate
excruciated
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Cite this Entry

“Excruciate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/excruciate. Accessed 11 Oct. 2026.

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