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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For example, if China can pin down the United States in the Taiwan Strait, Russia and Iran may seize the moment to attack their neighbors.—
Mark Melton,
National Review,
23 May 2025
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There are several leaf spotting diseases that can attack hydrangeas.—
Janet B. Carson,
Arkansas Online,
23 May 2025
Noun
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However, reflecting on his sacrifice wasn’t an option as the engagement at Phu Tai still had plenty of mayhem remaining.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
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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Investigators say the group allegedly lured the former business partner back from Italy to access his cryptocurrency account and then kidnapped and tortured him for weeks.—
Adeola Adeosun,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 May 2025
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According to the report, dissidents —including soldiers, opposition activists, human rights defenders, journalists and ordinary citizens— are being arbitrarily detained, forcibly disappeared, tortured, and subjected to sham trials.—
Antonio Maria Delgado,
Miami Herald,
20 May 2025
Noun
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The University of San Diego and San Diego State both lost Thursday to drop into the losers’ brackets of their respective double-elimination conference baseball tournaments.—
Bill Center,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 May 2025
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Listen to this article After a tough loss to start the Big East Tournament, the UConn baseball team bounced back on a short turnaround to defeat and eliminate St. John’s, 13-3, in a losers’ bracket game Thursday in Mason, Ohio.—
Dom Amore,
Hartford Courant,
22 May 2025
Verb
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Now the team does as well. Tipoff Wednesday night marked the halfway point for the Knicks’ quest to cleanse Madison Square Garden of the curse that has tormented it for five decades.—
Kyle Wagner,
New York Daily News,
23 May 2025
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Sirens is smartest when paralleling the entitlement of 21st century American wealth with Ancient Greek divinity, skewering the insularity and entitlement of these modern plutocrats who throw galas to honor themselves and to torment or seduce the mortals who are their employees and playthings.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
22 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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His parents, Marcelo Netto and Miriam Leitão, are both journalists who resisted the dictatorship and were persecuted.—
Marcelo Cajueiro,
Variety,
27 May 2025
Verb
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In a region plagued by foreign interference and democratic decline, Traoré's message resonates with disillusioned youth.—
Amir Daftari,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 May 2025
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But travel remains plagued by inefficiencies with disconnected booking systems, delays without real-time resolution and reliance on legacy infrastructure and software that slow rather than facilitate the journey.—
Omry Litvak,
Forbes.com,
23 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Martyr.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/martyr. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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