1
as in ravaging
to bring destruction to (something) through violent action
barbarians scourged the countryside, leaving village after village burned to the ground
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in whipping
to strike repeatedly with something long and thin or flexible
scourge the tree with a whip to loosen the bark
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scourging
Verb
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Of course, this being 1985, the rapidly escalating AIDS epidemic was already ravaging gay communities worldwide.—
Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 30 Dec. 2025
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The program centers in part on combating the spread of the European green crab, an invasive species that is ravaging local ecosystems.—
Verb
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The cold weather shouldn’t be a huge factor unless the wind starts whipping.—
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The wind was whipping throughout Kyle Field in College Station, Texas, that day, which had a massive impact on the kicking game.—
Verb
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By the 1960s, gas flares and untreated waste spillage were destroying their forests.—
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And there is a risk of the parasites becoming dormant for years before reactivating and destroying a new cornea.—
Verb
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The couple — who are now one of the most watched of the season thanks to their double awards show appearances — were not shy about hiding their romance amidst the stars at the 2026 Golden Globes.—
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Laundry Machines Both your washing machine and dryer can be used to stow laundry, as well as other items that need hiding.—
Verb
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Scenario two is that Harbaugh is leveraging the Giants’ rabid interest but ultimately could take a different job, devastating this desperate fan base.—
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Rubella, also called German measles, is mild in children but devastating to fetuses, causing deafness, heart defects and intellectual disabilities when pregnant women are infected.—
Verb
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Cut spending by slashing state programs?—
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These include terminating or suspending contracts with private providers and slashing supplemental aid previously available to foster families.—
Verb
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Despite his mediator role, Rodríguez is also known for his explosive temperament, lashing out in Congress and publicly threatening and insulting members of the opposition.—
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Trump spent most of 2025 downplaying the significance of the files, at times lashing out against Republicans who demanded the release of information about other potential perpetrators.—
Verb
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Others have called out the boring marketing campaign based around flogging variants in order for Swift to finally beat the record for the biggest opening sales week for a female artist in history (currently held by Adele, which she is likely projected to break).—
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The only thing tougher to watch than the Bengals’ offense on Sunday was Browning flogging himself over the failure.—
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Cite this Entry
“Scourging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scourging. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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