as in wrenching
intensely or unbearably painful
watched the final torturing moments of the game as the lead constantly shifted between the two teams
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in deformation
the twisting of something out of a natural or normal shape or condition
fans of the natural look frown on the torturing of garden trees and shrubs into fantastic shapes
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in persecuting
to cause persistent suffering to
the neighbor's dog constantly tortures our cat, barking at him and chasing him down the street
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in distorting
to twist (something) out of a natural or normal shape or condition
tortured her naturally straight hair into curls
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for torturing
Noun
-
But the researchers found that under the right conditions, the gravitational waves triggered by the quantum foam can sometimes generate exactly the right kind of deformations in space.—
Paul Sutter,
Space.com,
19 Jan. 2025 -
Rheology is a branch of physics that deals with the deformation and fluidity of matter.—
Leath Tonino,
Outside Online,
13 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
The Lombardi is more Holy Grail than trophy, the end of what can only be described as a torturous emotional pilgrimage.—
Ali Watkins,
New York Times,
8 Feb. 2025
-
Getting rid of the death penalty also would bring a close to these torturous years of appeals for so many of us.—
Yaakov Katz,
Newsweek,
7 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Crews used telescopes with special filters that can detect air distortions like shock waves to capture the image.—
Kiki Intarasuwan,
CBS News,
3 Mar. 2025
-
Gomez said that the unedited transcript and video of the 60 Minutes segment makes clear there was no violation of the news distortion policy.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
27 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
The first penalty trial featured agonizing testimony from O’Sullivan’s parents, friends and family, and took jurors through the details of the bloody scene in Del Paso Heights with videos, maps, photos and statements from other officers who had been at the scene.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacramento Bee,
24 Feb. 2025
-
Over in the House, Republicans have been agonizing to come up with at least $2 trillion in spending cuts to pay for Mr. Trump’s fiscal agenda and placate their most conservative members.—
Catie Edmondson,
New York Times,
21 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
The disaster declaration comes almost a year after five farmers living near Grandview sued the EPA after their livestock died or were born with deformities, alleging the agency failed to regulate forever chemicals.—
Elizabeth Campbell,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
13 Feb. 2025
-
Even less savory is the dwelling on body horror, with characters sporting sometimes inexplicable skin conditions or other deformities.—
Dennis Harvey,
Variety,
15 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
An audacious plan In the mid-1980s, global health agencies were otherwise occupied and heads of state largely overlooked the illness afflicting millions of their citizens.—
Sam Mednick,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Dec. 2024
-
The United States now suffers from twin pathologies—one afflicting the health of its citizens and the other the health of its political system.—
Thomas J. Bollyky,
Foreign Affairs,
30 Jan. 2020
Adjective
-
In late 2019, sudden, excruciating pain in my pelvis sent me to the emergency room.—
Katrina Martin,
Health,
4 Mar. 2025
-
The finish is long on the palate with an excruciating persistence of coal and extinguished forest fire.—
Emily Price,
Forbes,
1 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
This is due to the bodywork, interior work, and intense customization required to retrofit a new drivetrain under an old body.—
Robb Report Studio,
Robb Report,
8 Mar. 2025
-
Last year, intense protests and riots against immigration erupted throughout England after 17-year-old Axel Muganwa Rudakubana stabbed and killed young girls at a dance class.—
Abigail Anthony,
National Review,
8 Mar. 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Cite this Entry
“Torturing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/torturing. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share