HARROW Synonyms: 91 Similar and Opposite Words

harrow

verb

Definition of harrow

as in to plague

to cause persistent suffering to the villagers were gaunt and sickly, harrowed by years of disease and starvation

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of harrow Before the big race, the track was harrowed, bringing it to a better and drier racing surface. — John Cherwa, Los Angeles Times, 7 June 2025 The research fellow who met me, Birte, was in her forties, and appeared as if she had been harrowed by her work. — John Ganz, Harper's Magazine, 22 May 2024 Plus, Shin Ha-young is given little to do in the second half of the series despite her effortless shift from warm third wheel to harrowed and weary abuse victim. — Geoffrey Bunting, Rolling Stone, 26 Oct. 2023 That same humble deity, in the course of putting on humanity, had obtained a glimpse of the conditions on earth—poverty, needless estrangement, a stubborn pattern of rich ruling over poor—and decided to incite a revolution that would harrow Hell. — Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 28 Dec. 2020

Recent Examples of Synonyms for harrow

Verb

The research team identified opportunities to improve the atomic layer etching (ALE) approach, which offers significant advantages over the conventional methods but was plagued by difficulties for practical use.

— Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 27 Aug. 2026
Troubles from the start The groundbreaking attraction, which Six Flags has sunk millions of dollars into, was plagued with problems from the outset.

— Blake Ellis, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of plague

Verb

Over 600,000 women a year in America are afflicted with postpartum depression in America, research shows.

— Dominic Patten, Deadline, 1 Sep. 2026
It’s typically diagnosed in adults — only about five births each year are afflicted by the condition nationwide.

— Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of afflict

Verb

García Luna pledged to restore independence and public confidence in the Public Ministry and began reviewing cases involving officials, journalists, and others who alleged that they had been politically persecuted under the previous administration.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Aug. 2026
Other Eurasian emperors of the time also did not persecute occult practitioners as Ivan did in the lead-up to the second oprichnina, actions more in line with attitudes in early modern Christian Europe than those common among rulers of Asia.

— Foreign Affairs, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of persecute

Verb

The former beauty queen’s family claim that she was tortured by the suspects over dowry demands, reported the BBC.

— Raven Brunner, PEOPLE, 3 Sep. 2026
After 33 years spent in Italy, Mariano Guerra, an Italian doctor, returns to Argentina to testify at the trial against the former military officers who abducted, tortured and enslaved him during the military dictatorship.

— Leo Barraclough, Variety, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of torture

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harrow

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“Harrow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harrow. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of harrow

verb

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