as in wrenching
intensely or unbearably painful
a racking cough kept him awake all night
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in plaguing
to cause persistent suffering to
the young man was racked with guilt over the lie he had told to his parents the country has been racked by years of civil war
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in pulling
to injure by overuse, misuse, or pressure
she racked her brain trying to remember where she'd put the money the sails of the boat were racked by the storm's winds
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for racking
Verb
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The Thunder trailed by 16 in the first half before pulling within 52-48 at halftime.—
Austin Knoblauch,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Jan. 2025 -
Advertisement The lawsuit comes as insurers have been pulling back from California’s home insurance market en masse, often citing the risk of catastrophic events brought on by climate change.—
Andrea Chang,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
That’s changing this year, as three Democratic governors announced new initiatives aimed at addressing disparities afflicting boys and men.—
Elizabeth Robinson,
NBC news,
25 Mar. 2025
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One key focus of these efforts should address the deficiencies afflicting the market for biologics, which are medicines made or derived from biological processes.—
Wayne Winegarden,
Forbes,
5 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Their injuries are stomach-turning, their cries agonizing.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
11 Apr. 2025
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Sharp couldn’t touch the ball again without a double-dribble being called and the ball bounced three agonizing times with no one else able to make it to the loose ball to get a shot off.—
Kevin Dotson,
CNN Money,
8 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Before embarking on an NBA career that's already filled with exhilarating highs and torturous lows, Pritchard helped lead the Oregon Ducks to their first Final Four appearance since the inaugural NCAA men's basketball tournament.—
Bobby Krivitsky,
Forbes.com,
16 Apr. 2025
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This is like one of Larry David's torturous self-debates on Curb Your Enthusiasm, but without his perverse genius, his wheedling, preening hostility.—
Tom Gliatto,
People.com,
26 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Whether singing a cappella or accompanied by her guitar to hundreds or thousands of people − at a small venue or an awards show − Lafourcade's performances feel visceral, intense and intimate all at once.—
Pamela Avila,
USA Today,
26 Apr. 2025
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In place of intense (and potentially irritating) acids, Mediheal's Madecassoside Blemish Pads target breakouts and breakout-causing bacteria with anti-inflammatory powerhouses madecassoside and cica.—
Sarah Han,
Allure,
25 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
The Connecticut Conference of Municipalities recently launched a campaign attacking the governor for allowing the state’s overreliance on property taxes to worsen and for seeking to slash summer work programs that assist the state’s troubled youths.—
Keith M. Phaneuf,
Hartford Courant,
15 Mar. 2025
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The European drive to rearm is being driven, or justified, in part by the fear that Russia may try to test NATO by attacking Poland or the Baltic States.—
Anatol Lieven,
TIME,
14 Mar. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Racking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/racking. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025.
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