as in gruesome
informal
causing great mental or emotional pain
gut-wrenching decisions the novel's gut-wrenching opening scene
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Recent Examples of gut-wrenching
The themes are powerful and gut-wrenching.
—
Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 8 Jan. 2026
Our tear ducts definitely got a workout this year, as television offered up a bounty of gut-wrenching, sob-inducing moments.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 11 Dec. 2025
Hearing those words was gut-wrenching.
—Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025
The multi-tiered approach makes what happens all that more gut-wrenching, poignant and powerful.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 16 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gut-wrenching
Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 8 Jan. 2026
Our tear ducts definitely got a workout this year, as television offered up a bounty of gut-wrenching, sob-inducing moments.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 11 Dec. 2025
Hearing those words was gut-wrenching.
—Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025
The multi-tiered approach makes what happens all that more gut-wrenching, poignant and powerful.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 16 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gut-wrenching
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gut-wrenching
Adjective
-
This story is set in a gruesome, violent, vile world.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Throughout the last two days, Ivey centered himself in faith and gratitude — two grounding principles for a player whose career was derailed in January 2025 by a gruesome leg injury.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Hall said his mother’s final moments replay on a horrific loop in his head.—
Faith Karimi,
CNN Money,
8 Feb. 2026
-
Jacquelyn’s attorney, Andrew Nebenzahl, said the company has ignored horrific crashes and entrapments.—
Rick Sobey,
Boston Herald,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
In fact, Super Bowls are terrific opportunities to break out the slow cooker.—
Miguel Otárola,
Denver Post,
8 Feb. 2026
-
Adventures on both land and sea make Belize a popular destination, and its beaches and resorts are terrific for visitors who simply want to relax and enjoy the tropical climate.—
Patricia Doherty,
Travel + Leisure,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Los Angeles City Councilwoman Nithya Raman entered the city’s crowded mayoral race on Saturday, marking a shocking and last-minute move to challenge longtime ally Mayor Karen Bass after previously endorsing the mayor.—
Emily Hallas,
The Washington Examiner,
7 Feb. 2026
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What began with the unconstitutional targeting of law firms, universities, and non-partisan civil servants has advanced to ICE’s shocking and deadly street-level assaults.—
Chris Mattei,
Hartford Courant,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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After reviewing footage from monitoring cameras set up in the child’s room, the father, who has not been publicly identified, saw a terrifying incident of violence against his son, which had taken place two days earlier, according to authorities.—
Muri Assunção,
New York Daily News,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Many mothers in the Twin Cities marched the streets in the wake of the murders and terrifying kidnappings by ICE, and many mothers organized in other ways, moving food and money to food shelves, families sheltering-in-place, and rent relief funds.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Ice Cream Man follows an idyllic summer town descending into madness when an ice cream man serves kids sweet delights with horrifying results.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
6 Feb. 2026
-
At the time it was widely reported that Censori was thinking of leaving Ye amid a deluge of horrifying behavior, and possibly—or so the leering speculation of tabloids and comments sections goes—abuse of Censori herself.—
Anna Peele,
Vanity Fair,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Apple Pay and Cash App became formidable competitors.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
10 Feb. 2026
-
The rout was on from there as Florida’s formidable frontcourt imposed its will, finishing with a 56-35 rebounding edge and a 20-point advantage in the paint.—
Edgar Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The bodycam video was an eye-opening look at the frightening aftermath of the Brown campus shooting when police were searching room-by-room for the suspect, trying to comfort and care for terrified students, and trying to coordinate with campus police to get past locked doors.—
Corky Siemaszko,
NBC news,
9 Feb. 2026
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In 2017 Dikansh Parmar of the Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change in Germany, rescued an Indian cobra (Naja naja) coiled around a train’s window bars that was hissing and, understandably, frightening passengers.—
Richard Kemeny,
Scientific American,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gut-wrenching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gut-wrenching. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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