1
as in brutality
the use of brute strength to cause harm to a person or property
an act of violence caused the window to be shattered
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in intensity
the quality or state of being forceful (as in expression)
taken aback by the violence of her denial of any wrongdoing
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in emotion
depth of feeling
some people were taken aback by the violence with which the magazine's art critic attacked the exhibition
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of violence
This is noted in the movie, with Lecter saying Bill isn't trans and Clarice pointing out there's no correlation between trans people and violence.
—
Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2026
In El Salvador, aggressive security policies have dramatically reduced violence.
—Armando Regil Velasco, FOXNews.com, 25 Apr. 2026
The widespread violence exposes the fragility of Mali’s military junta’s security strategy.
—Mark Banchereau, Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2026
Police said there were no threats of violence and no injuries reported during the incident.
—Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 25 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for violence
Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2026
In El Salvador, aggressive security policies have dramatically reduced violence.
—Armando Regil Velasco, FOXNews.com, 25 Apr. 2026
The widespread violence exposes the fragility of Mali’s military junta’s security strategy.
—Mark Banchereau, Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2026
Police said there were no threats of violence and no injuries reported during the incident.
—Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 25 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for violence
Recent Examples of Synonyms for violence
Noun
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The result is that many people with civil claims are effectively unable to use the court system to help with such complaints as an abusive work environment, racial discrimination, environmental violations, police brutality or other issues handled by the federal courts.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Something natural decay shares with human indifference and brutality—war, waste, and rot, literal and metaphorical.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Here, the trio sharpens its focus, marrying clever production with the soul-eating intensity that propelled its rise.—
Dean Van Nguyen,
Pitchfork,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Classic shades such as oxblood and rust provide an intensity that doesn’t overpower when used in head-to-toe looks, while statured reds add energy.—
Angela Velasquez,
Footwear News,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Where Wiseman locates emotion is in the use of the camera, the shifts in filmmaking style, especially as the movie, for a brief moment, flips to color.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
24 Apr. 2026
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Dark gray gallery walls highlight the emotions in each of the roughly 40 paintings in the exhibition centered on Caravaggio and works by artists inspired by him.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The Thunder earned a bit of a break and awaits two teams battling injuries in the Lakers and Rockets.—
Dan Santaromita,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
-
In 2015, six Baltimore police officers were charged with felonies ranging from assault to murder in connection with the death of Freddie Gray, a Black man who’d suffered a spinal injury while riding in a police van.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
1 May 2026
Noun
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On the heels of this enthusiasm, Manus, on March 5, 2025, released an AI tool that took the tech to the next level, from generating ideas to autonomously completing tasks.—
Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
28 Apr. 2026
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Oliver, a New York Times bestselling author who previously worked with Henry Winkler on the Hank Zipzer series, was moved by Hawn's enthusiasm.—
Eric Andersson,
PEOPLE,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The assault killed at least seventeen people, including a twelve-year-old boy, wounded dozens, and destroyed buildings.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Allen will be arraigned Monday on charges, including assault of a federal officer and discharging a firearm in an attempt to kill a federal officer.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Some Trump-boosting podcasters and influencers cheered the FCC’s aggressiveness on Tuesday.—
Brian Stelter,
CNN Money,
29 Apr. 2026
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Not long into his second term, Bush sat uncomfortably as Stephen Colbert, then a Comedy Central host, hammered him with an aggressiveness unusual for the dinner.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The point is, instead, to revel in the contrast between the terrors and the impressively unfazed people who navigate them.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
29 Apr. 2026
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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
Cite this Entry
“Violence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/violence. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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