as in violent
marked by bursts of destructive force or intense activity
a hockey team known for its blood-and-guts play
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 blood-and-guts
Still, these sections lack the blood-and-guts tension of her interactions with her mother.
—
Madeline Leung Coleman, Vulture, 27 Aug. 2025
That realization elevates the film’s campy blood-and-guts from gore to gut-punch.
—Gráinne O'Hara Belluomo, WWD, 1 Dec. 2024
The striking contrast with everything heard earlier — not just the music but the blood-and-guts oratory — was bewildering, and in the midst of the temporary bewilderment, Melania emerged in her trim, bright-red skirt suit.
—Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 19 July 2024
Her sharp depictions of blood-and-guts nursing brimmed with acerbic opinions on topics ranging from the unpopularity of the British consul in Volos to inaccurate reporting by journalists who lacked Greek language skills.
—Richard Byrne, The New Republic, 25 Aug. 2023
The search produced Jeff Banister, straight out of central casting, talking with Texas grit and offering up blood-and-guts analogies.
—Evan Grant, Dallas News, 23 Mar. 2023
Despite his reputation as a blood-and-guts brawler, Moxley is an underappreciated mat technician.
—Alfred Konuwa, Forbes, 22 Mar. 2023
At another point in the trailer, Renfield and Awkwafina, who plays a traffic cop, set about to take on Dracula in a blood-and-guts confrontation.
—Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Mar. 2023
Madeline Leung Coleman, Vulture, 27 Aug. 2025
That realization elevates the film’s campy blood-and-guts from gore to gut-punch.
—Gráinne O'Hara Belluomo, WWD, 1 Dec. 2024
The striking contrast with everything heard earlier — not just the music but the blood-and-guts oratory — was bewildering, and in the midst of the temporary bewilderment, Melania emerged in her trim, bright-red skirt suit.
—Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 19 July 2024
Her sharp depictions of blood-and-guts nursing brimmed with acerbic opinions on topics ranging from the unpopularity of the British consul in Volos to inaccurate reporting by journalists who lacked Greek language skills.
—Richard Byrne, The New Republic, 25 Aug. 2023
The search produced Jeff Banister, straight out of central casting, talking with Texas grit and offering up blood-and-guts analogies.
—Evan Grant, Dallas News, 23 Mar. 2023
Despite his reputation as a blood-and-guts brawler, Moxley is an underappreciated mat technician.
—Alfred Konuwa, Forbes, 22 Mar. 2023
At another point in the trailer, Renfield and Awkwafina, who plays a traffic cop, set about to take on Dracula in a blood-and-guts confrontation.
—Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Mar. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blood-and-guts
Adjective
-
The left is always, at all times and places, a violent phenomenon full of hatred.—
Ross O'Keefe,
The Washington Examiner,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Dinah Voyles Pulver, a national correspondent for USA TODAY, has written about hurricanes, tornadoes and violent weather for more than 30 years.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
So all of us were just young and hungry and had the energy to be ferocious.—
Miles Socha,
Footwear News,
4 Sep. 2025
-
In the pic, Garfield plays a legendary leader of a ferocious rebellion against the tyranny of King Richard II.—
Justin Kroll,
Deadline,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Despite fierce opposition to certain kids books by conservative activists, Maricopa County, which serves 144,000 library cardholders, received only 12 formal letters asking for reevaluation of library books and DVDs since 2021.—
Taylor Seely,
AZCentral.com,
8 Sep. 2025
-
In August, the discontent grew when a leak showed that the White House's forthcoming MAHA strategy report would sidestep tougher limits on pesticides and other agrochemicals, bowing to fierce industry pressure.—
Josh Hammer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
That's up 16% from 512,000 savers who broke into seven digits on their 401(k) statements in the first quarter's turbulent market.—
Susan Tompor,
USA Today,
10 Sep. 2025
-
The verdict was the final of three judgements against the powerful Shinawatra family, which has dominated Thailand’s turbulent and often violent political scene for more than 20 years.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Allen leads Bills’ furious comeback After a fast start, the Bills’ offense had extreme difficulty getting things going downfield.—
The Athletic NFL Staff,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
-
One of the worst losses from any team this season sparked reactions from furious Dodgers fans on social media.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Rabies is a virus that is transmitted to humans by a bite or scratch from a rabid animal, according to the CDC.—
Shiv Sudhakar,
FOXNews.com,
5 Sep. 2025
-
These are hit series with rabid fanbases across a broad range of genres — from a propulsive thriller like ‘Paradise’ to a shiny floor competition show like ‘Dancing with the Star’s to a juicy drama like ‘Tell Me Lies’ — there’s a companion podcast for every viewer and every TV obsession.—
Michael Schneider,
Variety,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Homers reheat Royals’ cold offense The Royals’ offense has hit another rough patch.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Additionally, avoid using any pads or scrubbers with a rough surface that could damage the cabinet finish.—
Heather Bien,
Southern Living,
5 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Blood-and-guts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blood-and-guts. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share