1
as in gall
shameless boldness
you've got a lot of nerve showing up here
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
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Recent Examples of nerve
Hilary Lewis, HollywoodReporter, 5 July 2025
Your delivery guy, your nerves, and your future self will all thank you.
—Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 4 July 2025
For some adults, further assessments like bone density scans or nerve conduction studies may be necessary to complete the diagnostic picture.
—Richard Menger Md Mpa, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025
The nerves were palpable throughout before Vondroušová streaked away with the deciding set, taking the match 7-6 (12-10), 4-6, 6-2.
—Leon Imber, New York Times, 22 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for nerve
Noun
Despite Higgins and Lynch’s initial nerves, Best in Show received rave reviews, boasting a 93 percent freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
—Hilary Lewis, HollywoodReporter, 5 July 2025
Your delivery guy, your nerves, and your future self will all thank you.
—Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 4 July 2025
For some adults, further assessments like bone density scans or nerve conduction studies may be necessary to complete the diagnostic picture.
—Richard Menger Md Mpa, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025
The nerves were palpable throughout before Vondroušová streaked away with the deciding set, taking the match 7-6 (12-10), 4-6, 6-2.
—Leon Imber, New York Times, 22 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for nerve
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nerve
Noun
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The members of my party have the gall to request several of these demonic items from the livid waiter.—
Caity Weaver,
The Atlantic,
5 June 2025
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Lia Thomas stole a medal through deceit, and this rag has the gall to call him a 'champion'?—
Nick Mordowanec,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 May 2025
Noun
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Ethical Memory Vault: A secure story engine that records acts of moral courage—feeding these back into leadership training, AI models and onboarding systems.—
Shekar Natarajan,
Forbes.com,
8 July 2025
-
Hutchins later credited Jenner with giving her the courage to make the same transition.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
7 July 2025
Verb
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Born into the cult, Prophet draws comparisons between the group’s apocalyptic dogma (braced for a Soviet nuclear strike, the church built extensive Montana bomb shelters in the early 1990s), and Christian Nationalism, QAnon and the MAGA movement.—
R. Daniel Foster,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
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Colorado’s health department is bracing for several layoffs early next month for workers focused on cancer and heart disease prevention, thanks to the apparent loss of nearly $2 million in federal grant funding and the state’s own bleak fiscal outlook.—
Seth Klamann,
Denver Post,
28 June 2025
Noun
-
This silliness, the silliness of his arrogance, was actually funny to me.—
Ottessa Moshfegh,
New Yorker,
30 June 2025
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On the dark side, however, Mercury in Leo can spark moments of arrogance and stubbornness.—
Valerie Mesa,
People.com,
26 June 2025
Noun
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Her bravery, poise, and care are an example to not only her campers but to all of us.—
David Chiu,
People.com,
7 July 2025
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For her bravery, she was later honored as Righteous Among the Nations.—
Linda Ambrus Broenniman,
Baltimore Sun,
3 July 2025
Verb
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Following the January departure of Flos B&B Italia’s chief executive officer, luxury veteran Daniel Lalonde, its new management has been focused on fortifying each firm in its portfolio before selling them off.—
Sofia Celeste,
Footwear News,
1 July 2025
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Its railing is fortified with plexiglass safety barriers to prevent children from climbing, according to USA Today.—
Theresa Braine,
New York Daily News,
30 June 2025
Noun
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Other stories of heroism have begun to surface as the floodwaters recede in Texas.—
Stephen Sorace,
FOXNews.com,
6 July 2025
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Amid the chaos, acts of heroism stood out: men who hoisted children over animal chutes, staff who moved the animals and tried to restore calm, police officers and firefighters who arrived on the scene to help.—
Jordan Friedman,
Smithsonian Magazine,
3 July 2025
Verb
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Because the World Cup will be played in the U.S., Mexico and Canada, those countries have been spared an arduous qualifying competition — tense games that would have steeled them for the tournament ahead.—
Kevin Baxter,
Los Angeles Times,
10 June 2025
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The founders of Chime trudged into Amino Capital's bare-bones office early one Saturday morning in the summer of 2013, steeling themselves for disappointment.—
Stephen Pastis,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nerve.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nerve. Accessed 16 Jul. 2025.
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