1
as in gall
shameless boldness
you've got a lot of nerve showing up here
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in courage
strength of mind to carry on in spite of danger
that daring rescue took some nerve
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in shakes
nerves plural
a sense of panic or extreme nervousness
a veteran performer who still gets a case of the nerves before performances
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to brace
to prepare (oneself) mentally or emotionally
needs to nerve himself for the big game tomorrow
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of nerve
Jeff Spry, Space.com, 18 May 2026
The 56-hole leader Smalley showed no sign of nerves on the first tee, striping his first shot of the day down the middle of the fairway.
—Kevin Dotson, CNN Money, 17 May 2026
Luckily, by the end of the school day, the nerves that nearly kept their daughter from participating had completely disappeared.
—Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 17 May 2026
Dale currently serves as chief executive officer, president and a member of the board of directors of Axogen, a regenerative medicine company focused on peripheral nerve repair.
—Pioneer Press, Twin Cities, 17 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for nerve
Noun
None wanted to be the next to lose his nerve.
—Jeff Spry, Space.com, 18 May 2026
The 56-hole leader Smalley showed no sign of nerves on the first tee, striping his first shot of the day down the middle of the fairway.
—Kevin Dotson, CNN Money, 17 May 2026
Luckily, by the end of the school day, the nerves that nearly kept their daughter from participating had completely disappeared.
—Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 17 May 2026
Dale currently serves as chief executive officer, president and a member of the board of directors of Axogen, a regenerative medicine company focused on peripheral nerve repair.
—Pioneer Press, Twin Cities, 17 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for nerve
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nerve
Noun
-
Cutting open the gall when green will reveal the wasp larva in the center.—
Pamm Cooper,
Hartford Courant,
9 May 2026
-
Yes had the good sense and the gall to ask him to come back and produce their new record.—
Andy Cush,
Pitchfork,
9 May 2026
Noun
-
Both Judge Lang and Suffolk DA Kevin Hayden applauded the victim’s courage.—
Colleen Cronin,
Boston Herald,
19 May 2026
-
One drink opened the chest, two turned fear into courage’s cheap cousin, three steadied the hand enough to write the future in invisible ink.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
19 May 2026
Noun
-
Other drinks served include teas, energy drinks, matchas, lemonade, shakes, sodas and smoothies.—
Deborah Laverty,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2026
-
Convenient protein-rich options like beef sticks, egg bites, chicken bites, and ready-to-drink shakes are also being heavily marketed to consumers trying to maintain muscle mass while losing weight.—
LeeAnn Weintraub,
Daily News,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Amid the warmth and humor of her portrait of teenagehood, Smith is touching on a cold and bracing thing.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
13 May 2026
-
Although much of Hollywood is bracing for AI to hollow out jobs, Erwin argues that AI can return at least some production jobs that have been outsourced.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
Think about the arrogance behind that.—
Jovani Patterson,
Baltimore Sun,
16 May 2026
-
But his temper and arrogance were equally unparalleled, constantly leading him to argue with authority figures, from referees to his own managers.—
Leslie Felperin,
HollywoodReporter,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
Hannah Einbinder speaks about the cowardice of Hollywood on the Gaza genocide contrasted with Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil’s bravery.—
Zack Sharf,
Variety,
12 May 2026
-
There is still so much decency, intelligence, curiosity, kindness, and bravery among the people who work (or worked, before they were fired) in our government.—
Time,
Time,
12 May 2026
Noun
-
For anyone with even a mild rodent aversion, that can trigger shivers of disgust.—
Angela Haupt,
Time,
8 May 2026
-
Miller wrote the play long before the rise of artificial intelligence sent shivers through the American workforce.—
Chris Jones,
New York Daily News,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The weekend only fortified the belief that things will turn.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 May 2026
-
Introduced last year in partnership with Projeto Paradiso in a bid to fortify the presence of Brazilian cinema in the global arena, Screen Brasil selects three projects and their respective sales agents.—
Anna Marie de la Fuente,
Variety,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nerve.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nerve. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
