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
Biblical tradition holds that the Cenacle — a room on the upper floor of a Jerusalem building historically believed to stand above King David’s tomb — is where Jesus shared the Last Supper with his apostles before being crucified.
—
Leslie Katz, Forbes.com, 18 Apr. 2025
Archaeologists excavating the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the ancient church in Jerusalem situated where Jesus Christ was crucified and buried, recently found evidence of ancient olive trees and grapevines.
—Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 4 Apr. 2025
Thanks to Christ — crucified and risen from the dead — hope does not disappoint!
—Fernando Cervantes Jr., USA Today, 22 Apr. 2025
Thanks to Christ – crucified and risen from the dead – hope does not disappoint!
—Emily Shapiro, ABC News, 21 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for crucify
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Leslie Katz, Forbes.com, 18 Apr. 2025
Archaeologists excavating the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the ancient church in Jerusalem situated where Jesus Christ was crucified and buried, recently found evidence of ancient olive trees and grapevines.
—Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 4 Apr. 2025
Thanks to Christ — crucified and risen from the dead — hope does not disappoint!
—Fernando Cervantes Jr., USA Today, 22 Apr. 2025
Thanks to Christ – crucified and risen from the dead – hope does not disappoint!
—Emily Shapiro, ABC News, 21 Apr. 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 5 Jun. 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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