purgative

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

This is the opposite of escapism, and while I can’t say “Bad Luck Banging” is a lot of fun, it has a purgative, present-tense power.

From New York Times • Oct. 5, 2021

Taking out the trash is like administering a purgative to my house.

From Washington Post • Oct. 28, 2019

And this, too, felt like a purgative end to 2016.

From The New Yorker • Jan. 3, 2017

Teddy Roosevelt also glorified war for its own sake, treating it as a refreshing purgative to enliven the spirit and a country’s greatness.

From Slate • Sep. 12, 2014

Rufus had poured the purgative into his chamber pot and ordered me to tell his father he’d taken it.

From "Kindred" by Octavia Butler