1
as in inferno
a temporary place or state in which the souls of people who die make amends for their sins
It was a summer job that felt like purgatory to the teen.
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2
as in nightmare
a place or state of temporary suffering
We found ourselves trapped in the purgatory of a rush-hour traffic jam.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of purgatory
But like everything else with this latest vintage of Golden State basketball, we are left to wait in the purgatory of the offseason.
—
Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 18 Apr. 2026
The timing of Promising Young Woman, premiering to big buzz at Sundance in 2020 and then languishing in pandemic purgatory before ultimately getting dumped onto VOD, was a disappointment.
—Seija Rankin, HollywoodReporter, 16 Apr. 2026
Big tech pivots The AI boom rescued China’s big tech companies from years of regulatory purgatory.
—Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 12 Apr. 2026
Fail to heed the instructions, and you’ll be trapped in this urban purgatory with no way out.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 10 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for purgatory
Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 18 Apr. 2026
The timing of Promising Young Woman, premiering to big buzz at Sundance in 2020 and then languishing in pandemic purgatory before ultimately getting dumped onto VOD, was a disappointment.
—Seija Rankin, HollywoodReporter, 16 Apr. 2026
Big tech pivots The AI boom rescued China’s big tech companies from years of regulatory purgatory.
—Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 12 Apr. 2026
Fail to heed the instructions, and you’ll be trapped in this urban purgatory with no way out.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 10 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for purgatory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for purgatory
Noun
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Chile’s inferno was fueled by extreme heat, with temperatures pushing above 100 degrees Fahrenheit, and abnormally dry conditions — but it was also driven by human changes to the landscape.—
Stefano Pozzebon,
CNN Money,
26 Apr. 2026
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After last year’s disastrous Eaton fire, Southern California Edison executives vowed to be transparent about what caused the inferno that killed at least 19 people and left thousands of families homeless in Altadena.—
Melody Petersen,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
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When the show picks up, Lorcan is experiencing a strange series of nightmares centered around a terrifying rabbit-faced man, a creature pulled from Celtic mythology known as a Pooka.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
1 May 2026
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Continue reading … LIGHTS BACK ON — Trump ends DHS' months-long nightmare that left immigration enforcement without funding.—
,
FOXNews.com,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
The rules of this netherworld announce themselves, early on, via a nondescript wall sign.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Now, in an age of instant communications, their Cold War counterparts could nonetheless disappear into a covert netherworld, loosening Washington’s controls and freeing them to plot coups, mobilize armies, and install governments.—
Alfred McCoy,
Literary Hub,
26 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The breakup with Claude is why Mathias left Lyon and radically changed his life, and their encounter brings his romantic agony rushing back.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
30 Apr. 2026
-
That’s a woman reaching up in agony and fear.—
Abid Rahman,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Most prior visits had morphed into extended trips into a terrifying medical underworld — to a purgatory known as emergency department boarding.—
Elisabeth Rosenthal,
Miami Herald,
24 Apr. 2026
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Major gallerists and curators eventually became curious about this irrepressibly cool little underworld.—
Paula Aceves,
Curbed,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Curse or no curse, the @nyknicks have NO BUSINESS losing this series to the @ATLHawks — no matter how good that young team is.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
25 Apr. 2026
-
The home crowd in hockey can be a blessing and a curse.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
22 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
This autumn, though, the feminist alt-rock icons are finally giving us one hell of a sonic supernova.—
Devon Ivie,
Vulture,
28 Apr. 2026
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But, this specific adaptation could be equally advantaged by presenting an imagined hell within our lesser, present one.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
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In his remarks after the hearing Wednesday, Parente said the entire ordeal was a big waste of resources, particularly given the brutality of the federal agents who participated in Midway Blitz.—
Jason Meisner,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
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Garrison noted the ordeal has taken a significant toll.—
Chelsea Jones,
Miami Herald,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Purgatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purgatory. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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