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
Though Hunt Wynorski’s (Nick Zano) actual death happens off-screen, his pained panic at being trapped underwater by the suction pull of a public pool’s drain is an agonizing sequence, culminating in the gnarly visual of a blood-and-guts fountain.
—
Gayle Sequeira, Vulture, 16 May 2025
This is a blood-and-guts medical-show model, in which everything teeters on the brink of catastrophe at all times and the doctors are adrenaline junkies approximately one shift away from a complete mental breakdown.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 3 Apr. 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
Despite his reputation as a blood-and-guts brawler, Moxley is an underappreciated mat technician.
—Alfred Konuwa, Forbes, 22 Mar. 2023
At another point in the trailer, Renfield and Awkwafina, who plays a traffic cop, set about to take on Dracula in a blood-and-guts confrontation.
—Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Mar. 2023
Gayle Sequeira, Vulture, 16 May 2025
This is a blood-and-guts medical-show model, in which everything teeters on the brink of catastrophe at all times and the doctors are adrenaline junkies approximately one shift away from a complete mental breakdown.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 3 Apr. 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
Despite his reputation as a blood-and-guts brawler, Moxley is an underappreciated mat technician.
—Alfred Konuwa, Forbes, 22 Mar. 2023
At another point in the trailer, Renfield and Awkwafina, who plays a traffic cop, set about to take on Dracula in a blood-and-guts confrontation.
—Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Mar. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blood-and-guts
Adjective
-
The protests had been largely peaceful throughout Friday and Saturday, with isolated instances of violent activity.—
Michael Wilner,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2025
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Noni finds herself up against Lion’s violent henchmen and women in series of fight-to-the-death encounters aboard the tyrant’s grandiose sailing ship, which lies at the heart of a vast naval fleet.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
9 June 2025
Adjective
-
The game needed overtime — the third game that went beyond regulation in the first four contests of the series — because Edmonton mounted a ferocious comeback after falling into a three-goal first period deficit.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
13 June 2025
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He’s been on a like-a-hurricane live roll lately with his ferocious new band the Chrome Hearts, who make their studio debut on Talkin to the Trees.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
13 June 2025
Adjective
-
Meta’s big bet on Wang fits into CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s plans to bolster his company’s AI efforts amid fierce competition from OpenAI and Google-parent Alphabet.—
Jonathan Vanian,
CNBC,
13 June 2025
-
Sanders’s Senate counterpart, Sen. Peter Welch (D-VT), is a fierce Trump critic.—
David Mark,
The Washington Examiner,
13 June 2025
Adjective
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The capsizing was believed to have been caused by turbulent waters from heavy recent rains.—
Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports,
Arkansas Online,
13 June 2025
-
The spike in geomagnetic activity is driven primarily by a co-rotating interaction region (CIR) — a turbulent region in the solar wind in which fast-moving streams collide with slower wind ahead of them.—
Daisy Dobrijevic,
Space.com,
12 June 2025
Adjective
-
Ripley capped off a furious comeback with a Razor’s Edge toss of Perez onto Giulia, followed by a slam onto a ladder lodged between the first and second ropes.—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes.com,
8 June 2025
-
Then came the very public split between President Trump and Elon Musk, and a flurry of furious Twitter/X and Truth Social postings, aimed at each other with razor-sharp edges.—
Space.com Staff,
Space.com,
7 June 2025
Adjective
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But then a summer came and went, with rabid fans left waiting (due to the writers' and actors' guild strikes) to see which Fisher brother, if any, Belly chooses in the end of the onscreen adaptation.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
20 May 2025
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Lawrence often has this frisky, rabid grin that’s irresistible to watch but also scary.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
17 May 2025
Adjective
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Everyone plodded along, trying desperately to avoid rough that hasn’t been cut and greens that never seem to lose their speed.—
Doug Ferguson,
Los Angeles Times,
15 June 2025
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More Getty Images Clark, the 2023 U.S. Open champion, had a rough week.—
Devlina Sarkar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Blood-and-guts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blood-and-guts. Accessed 20 Jun. 2025.
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