someone's stomach is in knots
idiom
—used to say that a person has an unpleasant and tight feeling in the stomach, usually from nervousness
Her stomach was in knots as she awaited the start of competition.
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“Someone's stomach is in knots.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/someone%27s%20stomach%20is%20in%20knots. Accessed 4 Dec. 2025.
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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