1
as in whip
a long thin or flexible tool for striking
the museum display included a scourge, thumbscrews, and other notorious instruments of torture
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in nemesis
one who inflicts punishment in return for an injury or offense
the attorney general, who just happens to be a candidate for governor, is a self-proclaimed scourge of organized crime
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in curse
a source of harm or misfortune
the sheer ubiquity of food is proving to be the scourge of humanity, as evidenced by the obesity epidemic
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to ravage
to bring destruction to (something) through violent action
barbarians scourged the countryside, leaving village after village burned to the ground
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to whip
to strike repeatedly with something long and thin or flexible
scourge the tree with a whip to loosen the bark
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of scourge
Sarah Thwaites, Rolling Stone, 3 Apr. 2025
According to the Houston Police Department, a man on the flight was acting erratically and...
US employers added 143,000 jobs in solid but unspectacular January hiring, jobless rate fell to 4%
Robocalls and spam still a scourge.
—The Denver Post, 10 Feb. 2025
Sébastien Roblin, Popular Mechanics, 9 Mar. 2023
Of all the fearful diseases that scourge the human race, this ranks among those that are justly feared most.
—Mark Fischetti, Scientific American, 2 Nov. 2021
See All Example Sentences for scourge
Noun
Cleansing an area will return it to a fertile ground and remove the immediate scourge.
—Sarah Thwaites, Rolling Stone, 3 Apr. 2025
According to the Houston Police Department, a man on the flight was acting erratically and...
US employers added 143,000 jobs in solid but unspectacular January hiring, jobless rate fell to 4%
Robocalls and spam still a scourge.
—The Denver Post, 10 Feb. 2025
Verb
Like its American rival, the Tiger was initially intended to scourge Soviet tank battalions, but was refashioned for multi-role capabilities.
—Sébastien Roblin, Popular Mechanics, 9 Mar. 2023
Of all the fearful diseases that scourge the human race, this ranks among those that are justly feared most.
—Mark Fischetti, Scientific American, 2 Nov. 2021
See All Example Sentences for scourge
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scourge
Noun
-
My go-to Starbucks order is a nonfat mocha latte, no whip.—
Perrie Samotin,
Glamour,
18 Mar. 2025
-
Few people know this better than Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R., S.D.), the upper chamber’s highest-ranking official who served as Senate minority whip for Republicans last Congress.—
Audrey Fahlberg,
National Review,
28 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Ahead of the March 8 trade deadline, the Panthers added defenseman Seth Jones, then shocked the hockey world by acquiring longtime nemesis and former Boston Bruins captain Brad Marchand.—
Carol Schram,
Forbes.com,
16 Apr. 2025
-
Kasie finds records tying Gemma to Parker’s (Gary Cole) old nemesis, Kansas City mob boss Carla Marino (Rebecca De Mornay).—
Sara Netzley,
EW.com,
15 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The annual cost-of-living adjustment Social Security recipients receive is both a blessing and a curse.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2025
-
Homewood’s location on the western shore of Lake Tahoe is both a blessing and a curse.—
Megan Michelson,
Outside Online,
4 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
People stay at home and shop online, ravaging the streetscape of storefronts.—
Justin Davidson,
Curbed,
18 Apr. 2025
-
Earlier this year, Osment was among the thousands of Angelenos who lost their homes in the devastating wildfires that ravaged parts of Southern California in January.—
Alexandra Del Rosario,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Read Next World Palace gardens hid 900-year-old ruins of bathhouse in Spain — until now.—
Aspen Pflughoeft,
Miami Herald,
14 Apr. 2025
-
The titles of 12 such books — some of which may have been published before 2025 — are hidden below within an unrelated text passage.—
J. D. Biersdorfer,
New York Times,
14 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The masks come with two straps that go over your head and neck to keep a tight seal.—
Lisa Wood Shapiro,
Wired News,
18 Apr. 2025
-
On Black Friday last year, with the Chiefs and Raiders reserved for a national TV audience, quarterback Patrick Mahomes slammed a football between his hands and angrily unfastened his chin strap before yelling toward the sideline.—
Sam McDowell,
Kansas City Star,
18 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Hawkeye’s Jack Duquesne (Tony Dalton), who criticizes Fisk’s vigilante obsession and status quo shake-ups, reminds him that the wealthy socialites shouldn’t be underestimated.—
Ben Rosenstock,
Vulture,
25 Mar. 2025
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This one has Skarsgard as Eddie, a deadbeat but well-meaning dad to Sarah (Ashley Cartwright) and petty thief whose attempt to steal a luxury SUV turns into disaster because its unseen psycho vigilante owner named William (Anthony Hopkins) has rigged it so bad things happen.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
20 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Acronyms have been the bane of Newcastle United’s post-takeover existence.—
Chris Waugh,
The Athletic,
19 Feb. 2025
-
Variably spelled wolf’s bane or wolfbane, wolfsbane is the common name for a poisonous plant of the genus Aconitum known to grow in alpine climates in Europe.—
Laura Murphy,
JSTOR Daily,
28 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scourge.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scourge. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.
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