persecutors

noun

plural of persecutor
1
as in torturers
a person who causes repeated emotional pain, distress, or annoyance to another years later his schoolyard persecutor would end up being one of his low-paid employees

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in nuisances
one who is obnoxiously annoying on this flight my airline-appointed persecutor was a chattering nitwit who could not stop talking about himself

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 persecutors Honoring the undocumented and decrying their persecutors at the height of her career, against political headwinds and with nothing to gain and everything to lose, was par for her life, and a challenge for all of us to do the same. — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026 Amish are part of the wider Anabaptist movement, which puts heavy emphasis on Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, containing some of his most radical and counter-cultural sayings — to love enemies, live simply, bless persecutors, turn the other cheek and to endure sufferings joyfully. — Dave Smith, Fortune, 30 Oct. 2025 That is a nasty process which involves digging up Ambar’s still-fresh corpse, then subjecting it to various grisly indignities night after night as retribution gets visited upon our heroine’s persecutors. — Dennis Harvey, Variety, 6 Aug. 2025 Using it to describe this week’s attack on Huwara – or other similar attacks in Israel or Palestine – effectively puts Israel in the place of the Jews’ historic persecutors. — Joshua Shanes, The Conversation, 6 Mar. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for persecutors
  1. torturers
  2. nuisances
  3. tormentors
  4. pests
  5. harassers
  6. annoyances
  7. teases
  8. attackers
Noun
  • Red is immediately abducted, cut open in an ambulance, and injected with pain-magnifying drugs by his torturers, while Liz accidentally murders the mysterious man surveilling her next door.
    — EW Staff, Entertainment Weekly, 25 June 2026
  • Aaron escapes his torturers, first by rooting himself in the town’s only movie theater open to Black people, and then by lying about his age and enlisting in the Navy at 16.
    — Meredith Maran, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2026
Definition of torturers
Noun
  • Others argued that the report seems to cast members of the media as nuisances to be dealt with, while ignoring instances in which journalists were targeted by law enforcement.
    — Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 12 Aug. 2026
  • The Kansas City City Council approved a trio of ordinances on Thursday aimed at vacant properties that become nuisances and staving off demolition of historic buildings.
    — Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of nuisances
Noun
  • The attacks lead to the fateful events of prom night — a famous moment from King’s original— in which Carrie, who’s become aware of growing telekinetic powers, turns her abilities on her tormenters when she’s finally pushed over the edge.
    — Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 27 July 2026
  • That their tormentors were not untouchable.
    — Nazanin Boniadi, Time, 11 Mar. 2026
Definition of tormentors
Noun
  • Insecticides Spraying feeders with insecticides may seem like a smart way to keep pests away from bird seed, but these products can cause more harm than good.
    — Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 29 Aug. 2026
  • In one of the findings, bat houses — artificial roosts in urban environments, similar to nest boxes for birds — were doing their job helping to suppress pests on pecan farms in Texas.
    — Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of pests
Noun
  • White stars can help by publicly supporting their Black colleagues, who are especially targeted by online trolls and harassers.
    — Ian O'Connor, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Still, the star did not name her harassers.
    — Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 22 May 2026
Definition of harassers
Noun
  • Add in a few other clever accessories, and suddenly the small annoyances of traveling feel a lot more manageable.
    — Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Even with its annoyances, Samsung’s smart TV platform is at least packed full of features.
    — Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of annoyances
Noun
  • Following a summer of pop-up performances and musical teases, Leon Bridges is getting closer to his next chapter.
    — SPIN Staff, SPIN, 21 Aug. 2026
  • The end of Camp Rock 3 teases more could be on the way — and the Jonas Brothers are down to return.
    — Sarah Hearon, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of teases
Noun
  • Against autonomous attackers operating at machine speed, hours could become an eternity.
    — Emil Sayegh, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The rumor mill has linked Sporting KC to several attackers in the MLS and abroad.
    — PJ Green August 28, Kansas City Star, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of attackers

Browse Nearby Words

persecutor
persecutors
persecutory
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Cite this Entry

“Persecutors.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/persecutors. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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