PERSECUTION Synonyms: 36 Similar and Opposite Words

persecution

noun

Definition of persecution

as in harassment

something that causes mental distress The media's constant persecution was beginning to affect their lives.

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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 persecution The ruling did not prohibit third-country deportations but required that people facing removal have a meaningful opportunity to raise concerns about possible persecution or torture. — ABC News, 29 Sep. 2026 Others fled the country entirely to escape persecution and to find new work as the economy collapsed. — Andrew Nachemson, The Dial, 22 Sep. 2026 That result shocked many Germans who had believed their country had developed an immunity to nationalism and assertions of racial superiority after confronting the horrors of its Nazi past through education and laws to prohibit persecution. — Arkansas Online, 21 Sep. 2026 In the film’s ostensible present, as the lengthy raid unfolds, a noble, unnamed police constable (Anurag Thakur) objects to his superiors’ methods and their persecution of Devi at large. — Siddhant Adlakha, IndieWire, 21 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for persecution

Recent Examples of Synonyms for persecution

Noun

The law only became deployed as a vehicle for students to pursue claims of violence or harassment against other students in the 2000s, Armstrong said.

— Zoe Sottile, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2026
Three freshman Missouri Tigers football players, including two from the Kansas City metro area, were arrested Monday in Columbia on charges of suspicion of first-degree harassment.

— PJ Green October 7, Kansas City Star, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of harassment

Noun

Republican lawmakers -- many of them in tough election contests where soaring fuel costs are driving voter anger -- praised the agreement.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
The defeat came amid protests sparked by an elderly woman’s eviction, and could deepen public anger and fuel speculation about early elections.

— Joseph Wilson, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of anger

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persecuting

persecution

persecutions

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“Persecution.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/persecution. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of persecution

noun

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