as in to restore
to free from moral guilt or blemish especially ceremonially
a day on which the faithful are expected to purge themselves of their sins through prayer and fasting
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Recent Examples of purge
Another bill is intended to deter frivolous challenges to a person’s right to vote and protect against efforts to illegally disqualify or purge voters (A6354 and S3233A).
—
Phyllis Tashlik, New York Daily News, 15 Apr. 2026
That landslide victory was galvanized by deadly street protests in the fall led by a Gen Z determined to purge a political old guard perceived as venal and out of touch.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 15 Apr. 2026
The president and his allies are urging Indiana GOP voters, right now, to purge the state legislators who refused to turn their 7-2 GOP map into a 9-0 sweep against the Democrats.
—David Weigel, semafor.com, 14 Apr. 2026
The department booked 2,397 items into property and evidence and purged 2,487 items during the year, according to the report.
—Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 14 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for purge
Phyllis Tashlik, New York Daily News, 15 Apr. 2026
That landslide victory was galvanized by deadly street protests in the fall led by a Gen Z determined to purge a political old guard perceived as venal and out of touch.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 15 Apr. 2026
The president and his allies are urging Indiana GOP voters, right now, to purge the state legislators who refused to turn their 7-2 GOP map into a 9-0 sweep against the Democrats.
—David Weigel, semafor.com, 14 Apr. 2026
The department booked 2,397 items into property and evidence and purged 2,487 items during the year, according to the report.
—Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 14 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for purge
Recent Examples of Synonyms for purge
Verb
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As the Moon moves through your 6th House of Daily Routine, small systems restore energy and reduce friction.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
27 Apr. 2026
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But will the changes be enough to restore the competitive integrity of the game once and for all?—
Sam Amick,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Deep clean your closet and properly cleanse your storage containers, as these can also accumulate musty odors.—
Melissa Epifano,
The Spruce,
1 May 2026
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Under eclipses, artifacts will also be corrupted and have drawbacks that can be cleansed by beating the world’s Overlord.—
Gieson Cacho,
Mercury News,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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To meet their water needs, astronauts rely on closed-loop recycling systems, like NASA’s advanced Water Recovery System, which can recover and purify up to 93 percent of wastewater onboard.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
27 Apr. 2026
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Flameless induction cooking ranges, waste management and composting, oil purifying machines—all part of a large attempt to make luxury a little less wasteful.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Salt water contains healing minerals and the sensation of immersing yourself in water has been found to be relaxing.—
Kathleen Wong,
USA Today,
30 Apr. 2026
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In some places, the scars haven’t healed.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Purge.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purge. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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