as in violent
marked by bursts of destructive force or intense activity
a hockey team known for its blood-and-guts play
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Recent Examples of blood-and-guts
Dawn of the Dead's flood of blood-and-guts is among the most memorable in film history, if only for the unnaturally vivid shades of red.
—
Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Oct. 2025
Still, these sections lack the blood-and-guts tension of her interactions with her mother.
—Madeline Leung Coleman, Vulture, 27 Aug. 2025
That realization elevates the film’s campy blood-and-guts from gore to gut-punch.
—Gráinne O'Hara Belluomo, WWD, 1 Dec. 2024
The striking contrast with everything heard earlier — not just the music but the blood-and-guts oratory — was bewildering, and in the midst of the temporary bewilderment, Melania emerged in her trim, bright-red skirt suit.
—Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 19 July 2024
Her sharp depictions of blood-and-guts nursing brimmed with acerbic opinions on topics ranging from the unpopularity of the British consul in Volos to inaccurate reporting by journalists who lacked Greek language skills.
—Richard Byrne, The New Republic, 25 Aug. 2023
The search produced Jeff Banister, straight out of central casting, talking with Texas grit and offering up blood-and-guts analogies.
—Evan Grant, Dallas News, 23 Mar. 2023
Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Oct. 2025
Still, these sections lack the blood-and-guts tension of her interactions with her mother.
—Madeline Leung Coleman, Vulture, 27 Aug. 2025
That realization elevates the film’s campy blood-and-guts from gore to gut-punch.
—Gráinne O'Hara Belluomo, WWD, 1 Dec. 2024
The striking contrast with everything heard earlier — not just the music but the blood-and-guts oratory — was bewildering, and in the midst of the temporary bewilderment, Melania emerged in her trim, bright-red skirt suit.
—Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 19 July 2024
Her sharp depictions of blood-and-guts nursing brimmed with acerbic opinions on topics ranging from the unpopularity of the British consul in Volos to inaccurate reporting by journalists who lacked Greek language skills.
—Richard Byrne, The New Republic, 25 Aug. 2023
The search produced Jeff Banister, straight out of central casting, talking with Texas grit and offering up blood-and-guts analogies.
—Evan Grant, Dallas News, 23 Mar. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blood-and-guts
Adjective
-
In 2023, a report from the Police Executive Research Forum, a national think tank on policing standards, called for police to put the brakes on car chases unless a violent crime has been committed and the suspect poses an imminent threat.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
5 Apr. 2026
-
The enemy was large and violent.—
Emily Hallas,
The Washington Examiner,
5 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Italy happens to be in similarly ferocious form, however, and has won seven of its last eight, albeit losing twice in as many encounters with qualifying group winner Norway last year.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Despite Iran’s remarkably ferocious response across the region – attacking neighbors like Oman who days earlier mediated between Tehran and Washington - weeks of intense airstrikes against its cities and military has not magically left it a hundred feet tall.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
But Altman inspired fierce loyalty, too.—
Ronan Farrow,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Christian villagers who stayed behind in southern Lebanon, ignoring Israel’s blanket evacuation warnings for the area, have increasingly hardened into enclaves surrounded by fierce clashes.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
5 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The furious finish, in a game played in the midst of wind gusts that made 40 degrees feel much colder as afternoon turned to evening, came after the Padres lost an early lead and then got it back again.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 Apr. 2026
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Texas battled back to within one possession late, but Betts’ block sealed it for a team that has come too far and endured too much to be bothered by even the most furious of comeback attempts.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
In his first novel, Il salto con le aste (1989), Domenico Starnone presented two young boys determined to escape their turbulent Neapolitan backgrounds and assert themselves as free spirits and writers in the wider world.—
Tim Parks,
The New York Review of Books,
4 Apr. 2026
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Soaring food and energy costs related to world conflicts, post-pandemic labor shortages, and consumers skittish about spending in this turbulent economy have become huge challenges for restaurateurs, Guez says.—
Vivian Song,
CNN Money,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
And then there’s the New England Sports Network, or NESN, which has the benefit of airing some local games to New England’s rabid fan base, as well as Pittsburgh’s.—
Lillian Rizzo,
CNBC,
2 Apr. 2026
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One rabid mongoose bite later, and Ben is a skull-crushing, face-ripping menace terrorizing Lucy and her friends.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Blood-and-guts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blood-and-guts. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
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