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.
The juxtaposition of such a technologically enabled act — I recorded, therefore I was — and the most basic and purgative of elements invites irony where it is least wanted.
From Washington Post ● Nov. 16, 2018
Sacrifices come in different hues — purgative, nihilistic — but some of the most memorable involve a greater love in which characters selflessly lay down their lives for others.
From New York Times ● Oct. 23, 2018
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
To bring them into balance, Dr. Harlow prescribes two powerful drugs—an "emetic" to make Phineas throw up and a "purgative," a powerful laxative, to evacuate his bowels.
From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman
