What is another word for persecute ?

To harass or annoy (someone) persistently

make things hot for someone

terrorise^UK

terrorize^US

give someone a hard time

stick the knife into

be on one's case

drive up the wall

make it hot for someone

give someone the hump

antagonize^US

antagonise^UK

drive round the twist

breathe down someone's neck

agonize^US

tantalize^US

tantalise^UK

agonise^UK

rub you up the wrong way

get under skin

raise someone's hackles

put someone's nose out of joint

dishonour^UK

dishonor^US

set one's teeth on edge

get on someone's wick

jar on

make someone's hackles rise

make someone's blood boil

eat away at

weird out

ruffle someone's feathers

hit where one lives

get on nerves

try your patience

drive you up the wall

get under someone's skin

get on somebody's nerves

freak out

get up someone's nose

get someone's back up

get on someone's nerves

ruffle one's feathers

try someone's patience

put your nose out of joint

pressurize^US

pressurise^UK

breath down someone's neck

rub one the wrong way

set your teeth on edge

bring pressure to bear on

shake up

make nervous

tax

put someone's back up

get in someone's hair

rattle someone's cage

ask for it

get someone's dander up

take the mickey out of

put someone off their stroke

weigh down

test

put into a flap

cause someone to lose their composure

mess with someone's head

sweat out

weigh heavily on one's mind

make one's hackles rise

get on someone's case

criticize^US

be a pain in the neck

mix up

be a thorn in someone's side

criticise^UK

get on someone's back

destabilize^US

set someone back on their heels

demoralize^US

destabilise^UK

demoralise^UK

put out of countenance

buffalo

put someone off their stride

hurt somebody's feelings

make someone scratch their head

cause to be at a stand

get someone's hackles up

be a thorn in someone's flesh

pose

muddy

pull the rug out from under

pull the rug from under

blow one's mind

put somebody's nose out of joint

appal^UK

appall^US

balk^US

baulk^UK

push someon's buttons

stop someone in their tracks

convulse

put someone out

catch somebody off balance

catch somebody unawares

exhaust someone's patience

make someone's head spin

make someone laugh out of the other side of their mouth

put off his or her stride

take the wind out of someone's sails

make someone laugh on the other side of their face

tread on someone's toes

be an affront to

hurt someone's feelings

invigorate^US

energize^US

galvanize^US

galvanise^UK

envigorate^UK

energise^UK

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“Last week we witnessed two fine examples of the extent to which anti-smoking zealots will go in order to hound and persecute smokers.”

Verb

To cause anguish or distress to

torment

torture

agonise^UK

agonize^US

tyrannise^UK

tyrannize^US

criticize^US

terrorize^US

terrorise^UK

criticise^UK

make things hot for someone

give someone a hard time

be prejudiced against

be against

be set against

feel ill will towards

push about

show ill will towards

bear a grudge towards

labor^US

labour^UK

punish repeatedly and unfairly

give someone the works

lead someone a merry dance

take away someone's human rights

demonize^US

give one the business

demonise^UK

get on someone's back

rule with a rod of iron

bring under the yoke

bring someone to their knees

rule with an iron hand

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“They have been persecuted for their beliefs.”

Verb

use strong-arm tactics on

To rule over or control arbitrarily or arrogantly

domineer

dominate

tyrannise^UK

tyrannize^US

pressurise^UK

pressurize^US

bulldoze

rule

subjugate

terrorise^UK

terrorize^US

rule with an iron hand

lead by the nose

push the buttons

throw weight around

rule with a rod of iron

appall^US

appal^UK

treat harshly

scare the bejesus out of

put through the wringer

make things hot for someone

upset

inspire panic in

put the frighteners on

put the fear of God into

strike terror in

make it hot for someone

frighten out of your wits

bring someone to their knees

have someone under your thumb

keep someone under one's thumb

bring pressure to bear on

put under an obligation

blackmail

tighten the screws on

have someone do something

breathe down someone's neck

come at

throw one's weight around

turn the screws on

throw one's weight about

vandalize^US

vandalise^UK

antagonize^US

antagonise^UK

have under one's thumb

pull rank on

force somebody's hand

make an offer they can't refuse

jeopardize^US

bring pressure to bear upon

bring force to bear on

pound

put to work

work

hold a gun to someone's head

jeopardise^UK

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Verb

To inflict emotional or physical harm or distress upon

bring someone to their knees

agonise^UK

agonize^US

traumatize^US

traumatise^UK

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Verb

To press again

rule with an iron hand

blow out of the water

baulk^UK

balk^US

pulverize^US

immobilize^US

immobilise^UK

pulverise^UK

give someone a drubbing

give someone a hiding

win a resounding victory over

take severe measures against

take stern measures against

demoralise^UK

demoralize^US

come down on like a ton of bricks

tyrannize^US

colonize^US

enthrall^US

tyrannise^UK

colonise^UK

enthral^UK

bring to screeching halt

neutralize^US

neutralise^UK

put a spoke in someone's wheel

hold up

mess up

take wind out of sails

upset one's apple cart

get the upper hand over

give someone a pasting

vaporize^US

vaporise^UK

pummel^US

pummelled^UK

outmaneuver^US

bring about the downfall of

turn something inside out

knock the stuffing out of

gain the advantage over

throw back in confusion

be the ruination of

impoverish

administer the coup de grâce

drive to the wall

carry off

give the coup de grâce

throw a monkey wrench in the works of

be the ruin of

throw a spanner in the works of

gain the upper hand over

be head and shoulders above

annex^US

send to the gas chambers

wipe from the face of the earth

clean up

wipe off the map

wipe off the face of the earth

annexe^UK

defeat someone heavily

cook one's goose

fix one's wagon

wipe off the mat

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Verb

Punish severely

Verb

To verbally criticize harshly, especially with insulting language

belabour^UK

belabor^US

minimise^UK

minimize^US

criticize^US

criticise^UK

pummel^US

pummelled^UK

give someone a roasting

give someone a rocket

give someone a rollicking

rap over the knuckles

give someone a bad press

stigmatize^US

give someone a bollocking

give someone a dressing-down

stigmatise^UK

marginalize^US

marginalise^UK

jump down one's throat

criticize severely

give someone a telling-off

give someone an earful

sully the reputation of

give a bad press to

give someone a mouthful

give someone a wigging

give someone what for

give someone some stick

give someone a row

give someone a rating

trivialize^US

scandalize^US

scandalise^UK

trivialise^UK

give someone a caning

put on the mat

bring into disrepute

lay down the law

send someone away with a flea in their ear

blacken the reputation of

conduct a smear campaign against

blacken the character of

dishonor^US

dishonour^UK

give something a battering

kick up a fuss about

kick up a stink about

lay out

express disapproval of

speak of with disfavour

satirize^US

ostracise^UK

ostracize^US

satirise^UK

demonize^US

bite someone's head off

snap someone's head off

demonise^UK

give a tongue-lashing

bad mouth

jump down someone's throat

give something a bad press

give someone bondi

blacken someone's reputation

put someone on the hot seat

crawl all over

put someone on the griddle

burn someone's ears

pin someone's ears back

call to task

point the finger at

give the devil

rap someone over the knuckles

denunciate

put a whammy on

bring someone to book

go on at

have someone on the carpet

attack somebody's dignity

talk something down

nit-pick

shoot full of holes

give vent to one's emotions

lose one's temper with

give free rein to one's emotions

treat disrespectfully

irk

hurt someone's feelings

make a protest against

fume

complain vociferously about

disagree violently with

oppose strongly

put up a fight against

kick against

complain bitterly about

take a stand against

speak out against

kick up

take great exception to

penalize^US

make someone's hackles rise

put someone's back up

ruffle someone's feathers

hit where one lives

raise someone's hackles

give the cold shoulder

penalise^UK

rap someone the knuckles

complain vehemently about

drag through the mire

disfavor^US

disfavour^UK

demoralize^US

demoralise^UK

run a smear campaign against

blacken someone's name

sully someone's reputation

drag someone's name through the mud

look down one's nose at

bastardize^US

be contemptuous about

bastardise^UK

write false reports about

spread tales about

show contempt for

mark wrong

drag name through mud

drag someone's name through the mire

make someone eat crow

cause to lose face

lose face

put someone in their place

take down a peg or two

make cutting remarks about

dehumanize^US

desensitize^US

look down your nose at

turn up one's nose at