as in gruesome
informal
causing great mental or emotional pain
gut-wrenching decisions the novel's gut-wrenching opening scene
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of gut-wrenching
The Commanders' loss was a stark contrast to the Eagles' dominant performance at Lincoln Financial Field, while the Buffalo Bills, who were also looking for redemption, fell 32-29 to the Kansas City Chiefs in another gut-wrenching playoff defeat at Arrowhead Stadium.
—
Barbara A. Perry, Newsweek, 27 Jan. 2025
In Squid Game, participants face this gut-wrenching dilemma repeatedly.
—Mark Travers, Forbes, 20 Jan. 2025
However, a special teams disaster was also responsible for Denver’s most gut-wrenching loss of the season.
—Nick Kosmider, The Athletic, 17 Jan. 2025
Both teams had another possession but had to punt before Penn State’s gut-wrenching mistake and interception with 30 seconds remaining set up Notre Dame at the Penn State 42-yard line.
—Jay Ginsbach, Forbes, 11 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for gut-wrenching 
Barbara A. Perry, Newsweek, 27 Jan. 2025
In Squid Game, participants face this gut-wrenching dilemma repeatedly.
—Mark Travers, Forbes, 20 Jan. 2025
However, a special teams disaster was also responsible for Denver’s most gut-wrenching loss of the season.
—Nick Kosmider, The Athletic, 17 Jan. 2025
Both teams had another possession but had to punt before Penn State’s gut-wrenching mistake and interception with 30 seconds remaining set up Notre Dame at the Penn State 42-yard line.
—Jay Ginsbach, Forbes, 11 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for gut-wrenching
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gut-wrenching
Adjective
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Friday’s 102-86 setback in Brooklyn - marked by a gruesome fourth quarter in which Miami was outscored 31-9 – left the Heat at 25-25.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
8 Feb. 2025
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Osgood Perkins is back in his horror bag to bring the short story from Stephen King to the big screen, following twin brothers Bill and Hal, who find their father's old toy monkey in the attic, an event which leads to a series of gruesome deaths.—
Anders Fogh Rasmussen,
Newsweek,
4 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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With snipers on rooftops, military vehicles on the streets and troops and cops everywhere, Trump was scheduled to meet with families of those killed and injured in the horrific New Year’s Day attack in NOLA.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
9 Feb. 2025
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Contemplating nuclear war and the prospect of telling this horrific news to my radio audience at 9:30 in the morning of Feb. 20, 1971 still haunts me today.—
Steve Koester,
Twin Cities,
7 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Warren is the more physically dominant prospect, while Loveland is an elite route runner and terrific receiver at 240-plus pounds.—
Nick Baumgardner,
The Athletic,
18 Feb. 2025
-
Paz is terrific, a woman with everything thrown at her while trying to keep her family together.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
16 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Head coach Kevin O'Connell won Coach of the Year after the team secured a shocking 14-3 record.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
15 Feb. 2025
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The escalating tension of that final act is as shocking and violent and viciously cold as anything in Franco’s filmography, which has seldom shied away from stark depictions of human cruelty — whether intimate in scale, like After Lucia, or encompassing explosive societal conflict, like New Order.—
David Rooney,
The Hollywood Reporter,
15 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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In its place is the Terran Empire, a brutal and colonizing force that encapsulates the terrifying darkness of this alternative world.—
Angelica Jade Bastién,
Vulture,
7 Feb. 2025
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Meanwhile, Irving spent the night venturing off on his own, falling asleep in the forest with terrifying hallucinations.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
7 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Driving the news: Berger has successfully staved off challengers for more than two decades, but Page could prove to be a formidable primary opponent should the two face off next year.—
Lucille Sherman,
Axios,
14 Feb. 2025
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In any case, Spanberger could be a formidable opponent.—
Ross O'Keefe,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
14 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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What ensues is an incredibly artful dance between frightening violence and slapstick humor that reveals both Ani’s inner steel and Igor’s integrity—two strong hooks into the film as a whole.—
Antonia Blyth,
Deadline,
4 Feb. 2025
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For someone living in that position, life can be frightening and overwhelming.—
Bahíyyah Maroon,
Orlando Sentinel,
1 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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There have been plenty of terrible Oscar hosts over the years but this was a car crash that could easily have been avoided.—
Radhika Seth,
Vogue,
15 Feb. 2025
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Secrets bob to the surface like drowning victims from the deep until nobody — not even the reader — can easily separate the terrible truth from even more terrible fictions.—
M.L. Rio,
New York Times,
14 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near gut-wrenching
Cite this Entry
“Gut-wrenching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gut-wrenching. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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