as in tormented
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1
as in persecuted
to cause persistent suffering to
the neighbor's dog constantly tortures our cat, barking at him and chasing him down the street
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in distorted
to twist (something) out of a natural or normal shape or condition
tortured her naturally straight hair into curls
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Recent Examples of tortured
Susannah Bryan, Sun Sentinel, 27 Apr. 2026
McIlroy had a tortured career at Augusta prior to the last two years.
—Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 12 Apr. 2026
Linda becomes her husband’s unyielding defender as the tortured Biff — once the quintessential American boy — develops into a Knight of the Mirrors against his father’s Quixote, the adversary who tries to force the dreamer to encounter his own reflection.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2026
After filming, Eric Dane, who brilliantly portrayed tortured parent Cal Jacobs, succumbed to the effects of ALS in February of this year.
—Shirley Halperin, Rolling Stone, 9 Apr. 2026
The getaway spirals into terror when Katie (Charli xcx) becomes possessed by a violent, tortured spirit (Mizuhara), unleashing a nightmare steeped in Japanese horror tradition.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 20 Mar. 2026
Henshall is a hoot as the tortured inspector, though the series has recently taken on a new dimension with the addition of Ashley Jensen (so brilliant in Ricky Gervais’ Hollywood satire, Extras) as the formidable DI Ruth Calder.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Mar. 2026
During the show’s wildly popular first season, Robby was treated as a swaggering, tortured heartthrob by the viewers who turned this HBO Max original into an Emmy-winning success.
—Esther Zuckerman, Vanity Fair, 20 Feb. 2026
Fennell cast Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff and Margot Robbie plays Cathy in this tale of childhood friends turned tortured lovers, kept apart by heartbreaking misunderstandings and their own destructive decisions.
—Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 14 Feb. 2026
CBS News, 30 Apr. 2026
After the coup — in the story and in reality — opponents, civilians and those deemed suspicious were regularly kidnapped and tortured.
—Laura Zornosa, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2026
In July 2013, Anderson and Walker were found bound, gagged, tortured and shot to death in Anderson’s home, according to police.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 29 Apr. 2026
In October 2023, Millan allegedly helped the Chapitos kidnap a DEA confidential source and the source’s relative, who was then tortured and killed.
—Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 29 Apr. 2026
On the way to save her beloved canine buddy Krypto, the party-hearty but tortured Supergirl teams up with a vengeful youngster (Ruthye Marye Knoll) and a rambunctious intergalactic bounty hunter (Jason Momoa).
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 28 Apr. 2026
The knowledge that POWs were being tortured helped further erode the American public’s support for the war and led to calls for the Nixon administration to negotiate a settlement that would bring the POWs home.
—Tracy Grant, Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Apr. 2026
The kidnappers didn’t care and tortured the family with 2 notes knowing the FBI would not recommend paying a ransom without proof of life.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 22 Apr. 2026
As the governments of US and Iran try to negotiate a peace deal, many Iranians are still being arrested, tortured and executed, according to rights groups.
—Dana Karni, CNN Money, 20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
Patrick McTigue, chair of the planning board, voted last and cast the deciding vote — but not before taking a long and tortured pause.
—Susannah Bryan, Sun Sentinel, 27 Apr. 2026
McIlroy had a tortured career at Augusta prior to the last two years.
—Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 12 Apr. 2026
Linda becomes her husband’s unyielding defender as the tortured Biff — once the quintessential American boy — develops into a Knight of the Mirrors against his father’s Quixote, the adversary who tries to force the dreamer to encounter his own reflection.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2026
After filming, Eric Dane, who brilliantly portrayed tortured parent Cal Jacobs, succumbed to the effects of ALS in February of this year.
—Shirley Halperin, Rolling Stone, 9 Apr. 2026
The getaway spirals into terror when Katie (Charli xcx) becomes possessed by a violent, tortured spirit (Mizuhara), unleashing a nightmare steeped in Japanese horror tradition.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 20 Mar. 2026
Henshall is a hoot as the tortured inspector, though the series has recently taken on a new dimension with the addition of Ashley Jensen (so brilliant in Ricky Gervais’ Hollywood satire, Extras) as the formidable DI Ruth Calder.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Mar. 2026
During the show’s wildly popular first season, Robby was treated as a swaggering, tortured heartthrob by the viewers who turned this HBO Max original into an Emmy-winning success.
—Esther Zuckerman, Vanity Fair, 20 Feb. 2026
Fennell cast Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff and Margot Robbie plays Cathy in this tale of childhood friends turned tortured lovers, kept apart by heartbreaking misunderstandings and their own destructive decisions.
—Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 14 Feb. 2026
Verb
Higgins was tortured, interrogated and then was murdered.
—CBS News, 30 Apr. 2026
After the coup — in the story and in reality — opponents, civilians and those deemed suspicious were regularly kidnapped and tortured.
—Laura Zornosa, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2026
In July 2013, Anderson and Walker were found bound, gagged, tortured and shot to death in Anderson’s home, according to police.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 29 Apr. 2026
In October 2023, Millan allegedly helped the Chapitos kidnap a DEA confidential source and the source’s relative, who was then tortured and killed.
—Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 29 Apr. 2026
On the way to save her beloved canine buddy Krypto, the party-hearty but tortured Supergirl teams up with a vengeful youngster (Ruthye Marye Knoll) and a rambunctious intergalactic bounty hunter (Jason Momoa).
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 28 Apr. 2026
The knowledge that POWs were being tortured helped further erode the American public’s support for the war and led to calls for the Nixon administration to negotiate a settlement that would bring the POWs home.
—Tracy Grant, Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Apr. 2026
The kidnappers didn’t care and tortured the family with 2 notes knowing the FBI would not recommend paying a ransom without proof of life.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 22 Apr. 2026
As the governments of US and Iran try to negotiate a peace deal, many Iranians are still being arrested, tortured and executed, according to rights groups.
—Dana Karni, CNN Money, 20 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tortured
Verb
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Walker, however, agreed with the majority that the president cannot deport migrants to countries where they will be persecuted or strip them of mandatory procedures that protect against their removal.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
25 Apr. 2026
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Walker, however, agreed with the majority that the president cannot deport migrants to countries where they will be persecuted or strip them of mandatory procedures that protect against their removal.—
Michael Kunzelman,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Returning to these first-hand recollections reveals how easily nuance can be lost as truths are distorted or reshaped over time.—
Tony Lee Moral,
IndieWire,
27 Apr. 2026
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When that voice is dismissed or distorted, something essential is lost — not only in our politics, but in our moral imagination.—
William E. Lori,
New York Daily News,
26 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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In past times of tension and conflict, Iran has at times harassed shipping though the narrows, and during the 1980s Iran-Iraq war, both sides attacked tankers and other vessels, using naval mines to completely shut down traffic at points.—
Jon Gambrell,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Mar. 2026
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In past times of tension and conflict, Iran has at times harassed shipping though the narrows, and during the 1980s Iran-Iraq war, both sides attacked tankers and other vessels, using naval mines to completely shut down traffic at points.—
Jon Gambrell,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Corruption cases reminiscent of the scandals that plagued the political elite that Milei vowed to overthrow have added to his challenges, with his close ally and chief of staff, Manuel Adorni, now under investigation for the misuse of public funds.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Apr. 2026
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Despite the child molestation claims that plagued Jackson for decades, his fans have demonstrated a number of times that the answer is yes.—
Rebecca Rubin,
Variety,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The mountains themselves are too deformed to hold hydrocarbons.—
Stephanie Pappas,
Scientific American,
6 Mar. 2026
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Hadi tells an engaging story, brings complex and surprising characters to life, lends a locale an aesthetic iconography, and renders personal identity inextricable from the forces of history that shaped or deformed it.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The Premier League side will be happy to have ridden out that wave, but will feel frustrated that its second penalty of the semifinal was overturned.—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
29 Apr. 2026
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Now, following Tuesday's announcement that the state is seeking a new contractor to complete the rebuild project, Romiti is even more frustrated.—
Ashley Paul,
CBS News,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In 1602, she was afflicted by a slew of symptoms, such as convulsions, fits, and terrors.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Apr. 2026
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Once diagnosed, pancreatic cancer has been a death sentence for those afflicted in the vast majority of cases.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Egon Schiele’s show at the Neue Galerie suggests that the artist’s raw, contorted depictions of the body were influenced by a formative relationship with a doctor.—
Hannah Jocelyn,
New Yorker,
19 Mar. 2026
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Cross-country skiing is known for its attrition, an event that leaves its competitors foam-mouthed and slack-jawed; athletes of iron reduced to trembling and contorted shapes on the floor.—
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
18 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tortured.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tortured. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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