as in to attack
to kill (someone) for refusing to give up a belief or cause
—usually used as (be) martyred
He was martyred for his religious beliefs.
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Recent Examples of martyr
Alice Burton, Vulture, 30 Aug. 2024
The skeletal remains of two saints martyred in Rome more than 1,800 years ago are on display at the front of the church, encased in illuminated glass tombs.
—Lucas Aulbach, The Courier-Journal, 24 Dec. 2024
Lissete Lanuza Sáenz, StyleCaster, 18 Apr. 2025
Why does John Proctor, that man, get the chance to redeem himself as a martyr while leaving a pregnant wife behind and all sorts of human devastation in his wake?
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 14 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for martyr
Verb
He apparently was martyred in Azerbaijan, which is an interesting tidbit.
—Alice Burton, Vulture, 30 Aug. 2024
The skeletal remains of two saints martyred in Rome more than 1,800 years ago are on display at the front of the church, encased in illuminated glass tombs.
—Lucas Aulbach, The Courier-Journal, 24 Dec. 2024
Noun
In general, the poem makes a point to emphasize resilience in the face of adversity, which proves that McVeigh considered his cause right until the bitter end and saw himself as a martyr.
—Lissete Lanuza Sáenz, StyleCaster, 18 Apr. 2025
Why does John Proctor, that man, get the chance to redeem himself as a martyr while leaving a pregnant wife behind and all sorts of human devastation in his wake?
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 14 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for martyr
Recent Examples of Synonyms for martyr
Verb
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Her dad drove to Boulder to attack the protest three days later, according to investigators.—
Trevor Hughes,
USA Today,
4 June 2025
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The pathogen is known as Fusarium graminearum, which can attack wheat, barley, maize and rice and sicken livestock and people, the FBI said in a court filing in Detroit.—
Ed White,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2025
Noun
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Instead of using Memorial Day as a time to honor and reflect on the sacrifices made by Americans in combat, many Americans use the day as a celebration of the beginning of summer.—
Alex Heigl,
People.com,
26 May 2025
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His story is a reminder of the sacrifices made by those who serve, both in uniform and in the shadows.—
Rachel King,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2025
Verb
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The footage includes a scene in which a Hitler look-alike is tortured.—
Ryan Gajewski,
HollywoodReporter,
3 June 2025
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In 2024, Chinese state media reported at least four separate cases of university students allegedly torturing cats.—
Rebecca Wright,
CNN Money,
30 May 2025
Noun
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But the Phillies are skidding, losers of four in a row.—
Anthony Stitt,
Forbes.com,
2 June 2025
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The winning team heads to the semifinals, while the loser will head to a last-chance game against the winner of Friday's game between Florida and Tennessee to determine which advances to the semifinals.—
Kilty Cleary,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 May 2025
Verb
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As a girl, she was also tormented by a reddish blotchiness on her face, most likely from rosacea or acne.—
James Marcus,
New Yorker,
2 June 2025
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As with Lydia, June is able to reconcile somewhat with Serena (Yvonne Strahovski), who tormented her as the wife of Fred Waterford (Joseph Fiennes), June's first master.—
Randall Colburn,
EW.com,
27 May 2025
Verb
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Where his previous projects were conflicted and often anguished, this one is celebratory.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
23 May 2025
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Others will be anguishing over Irving (John Turturro) and Burt (Christopher Walken), whose respective and collective fates weren’t addressed at all.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
21 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Leopoldo chose to be the voice of the people who elected him, and was persecuted for it.—
Imamu "Mu" Tomlinson,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2025
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After being persecuted for the nature of her work, the political scientist arrived to the U.S. in 2022 on a visa.—
Nicole Acevedo,
NBC news,
27 May 2025
Verb
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Inside a Palm Beach County courtroom, Judge Kathleen Kroll is trying to tackle a problem that has plagued Florida schools in recent years: An alarming number of students aren’t showing up for school.—
Scott Travis,
Sun Sentinel,
5 June 2025
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The wallet aims to solve cross-border payment challenges that have long plagued African creators.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
5 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Martyr.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/martyr. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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