as in gruesome
informal
causing great mental or emotional pain
gut-wrenching decisions the novel's gut-wrenching opening scene
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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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The gruesome murder occurred after an argument about fraudulent credit card charges, prosecutors said.—
Muri Assunção,
New York Daily News,
20 Feb. 2025
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Over everything hovers the gruesome mystery of birth, that unnerving manifestation of female destiny by which a small person is formed within a larger one and bursts out like the alien in Alien.—
Stephanie Bunbury,
Deadline,
18 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Once the fighting stops the horrific Russian losses of men and machines become daily additions to the armed forces.—
Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
20 Feb. 2025
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On the left, contemporary progressives have denounced the original progressive for his horrific opinions of black Americans.—
Christian Schneider,
National Review,
20 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
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John Magaro is terrific as Jarrett, a once-in-a-generation talent who was sleep-deprived, suffering from acute back pain and disdainful of the inferior instrument on which he was expected to perform.—
David Rooney,
The Hollywood Reporter,
16 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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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
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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
Adjective
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His first book, Dark Days vividly and unflinchingly chronicled his terrifying experience being jailed on charges of manslaughter (he was acquitted on all counts).—
Bill Kopp,
SPIN,
20 Feb. 2025
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For those who have watched DOGE storm into their workplace, what is perhaps most terrifying is its attempts to scale.—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
19 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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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
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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
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
Cite this Entry
“Gut-wrenching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gut-wrenching. Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.
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