crucify
verb
cru·ci·fy
ˈkrü-sə-ˌfī 
crucified; crucifying
1
: to put to death by nailing or binding the wrists or hands and feet to a cross
2
: to destroy the power of : mortify
crucify the flesh
3
a
: to treat cruelly : torment
b
: pillory sense 2
crucified in the press
Examples of crucify in a Sentence
They crucified her in the newspapers for having an affair.
Recent Examples on the Web
Growing divide Why, then, did Pilate have Jesus crucified?
—
Nathanael Andrade, The Conversation, 11 Apr. 2025
Appoint a godly man who preaches Christ and Him crucified for our sins (Voddie Baucham?).
—Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 25 Mar. 2025
Carrier contends that early Christianity began as a purely visionary movement worshipping a celestial figure, an angelic being who took on human flesh to be crucified by Satan, buried, and reborn in the sky.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 24 Mar. 2025
Farren referred to the two thieves who were crucified with Jesus.
—Lawrence Wright, The New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for crucify
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Nathanael Andrade, The Conversation, 11 Apr. 2025
Appoint a godly man who preaches Christ and Him crucified for our sins (Voddie Baucham?).
—Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 25 Mar. 2025
Carrier contends that early Christianity began as a purely visionary movement worshipping a celestial figure, an angelic being who took on human flesh to be crucified by Satan, buried, and reborn in the sky.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 24 Mar. 2025
Farren referred to the two thieves who were crucified with Jesus.
—Lawrence Wright, The New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for crucify
Cite this Entry
“Crucify.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crucify. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
crucify
verb
cru·ci·fy
ˈkrü-sə-ˌfī
crucified; crucifying
1
: to put to death by nailing or binding the hands and feet to a cross
Etymology
Middle English crucifien "to crucify," from early French crucifier (same meaning), from Latin crucifigere "to crucify," from cruc-, crux "cross" and figere "to fasten, fix" — related to cross, crucifix, excruciating, fix
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