as in plague
a widespread disease resulting in a high rate of death
the fear that terrorists could unleash a pestilence that would wreak unspeakable havoc
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Recent Examples of pestilence
Disease, pestilence and death: Has unsealing King Tut's tomb unleashed an ancient curse?
Fox Nation's 'Tales of Terror: The Curse of King Tut' unravels the media frenzy after the uncovering of the Egyptian pharaoh's ancient tomb and the devastation that followed.
—
Ashlyn Messier, Fox News, 4 Dec. 2024
Disease, pestilence and death: Has unsealing King Tut's tomb unleashed an ancient curse?
Fox Nation's 'Tales of Terror: The Curse of King Tut' unravels the media frenzy that came on the heels of uncovering the Egyptian pharaoh's ancient tomb and the devastation that followed.
—Ashlyn Messier, Fox News, 30 Nov. 2024
Sometimes, what happens at the border — contraband, counterfeit items, illicit drugs, agricultural pestilence and non-native plant species — stays at the border.
—Mandi Wright, Detroit Free Press, 21 Nov. 2024
In dramatic lore they are known as famine, pestilence, destruction and death.
—Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for pestilence
Ashlyn Messier, Fox News, 4 Dec. 2024
Disease, pestilence and death: Has unsealing King Tut's tomb unleashed an ancient curse?
Fox Nation's 'Tales of Terror: The Curse of King Tut' unravels the media frenzy that came on the heels of uncovering the Egyptian pharaoh's ancient tomb and the devastation that followed.
—Ashlyn Messier, Fox News, 30 Nov. 2024
Sometimes, what happens at the border — contraband, counterfeit items, illicit drugs, agricultural pestilence and non-native plant species — stays at the border.
—Mandi Wright, Detroit Free Press, 21 Nov. 2024
In dramatic lore they are known as famine, pestilence, destruction and death.
—Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for pestilence
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pestilence
plague
Noun
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The pathogen has fueled three major plague pandemics since the first century AD, and though its deadliest years appear to be behind us, plague hasn’t disappeared.—
Mindy Weisberger,
CNN Money,
3 June 2025
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The results revealed that pla depletion decreases the virulence and increases the length of plague infections in mice.—
Sam Walters,
Discover Magazine,
31 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pestilence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pestilence. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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