as in excitable
bringing about a relief from strong emotions usually by expressing them
It was very cathartic to finally tell my childhood bully exactly what I thought of him.
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as in drug
a substance used to induce or speed up the process of defecation
Epsom salts, when ingested, act as a cathartic.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cathartic
Lucas Villa, Rolling Stone, 25 Sep. 2025
Playing with slime is a cathartic and uplifting experience to hear Sloomoo Institute cofounders Karen Robinovitz and Sara Schiller tell it.
—Sharon Edelson, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
To Talbray, the meeting seemed cathartic for the man, giving him a sense of closure.
—Georgina Dinardo, NBC news, 14 Sep. 2025
Painful, patient, and cathartic, Hamnet’s finale will overwhelm you with the faith in art as a salve for grief.
—Taylor Antrim, Vogue, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cathartic
Adjective
The cathartic album came on the heels of their nomination for Best New Artist at last year’s Latin Grammys Awards.
—Lucas Villa, Rolling Stone, 25 Sep. 2025
Playing with slime is a cathartic and uplifting experience to hear Sloomoo Institute cofounders Karen Robinovitz and Sara Schiller tell it.
—Sharon Edelson, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
To Talbray, the meeting seemed cathartic for the man, giving him a sense of closure.
—Georgina Dinardo, NBC news, 14 Sep. 2025
Painful, patient, and cathartic, Hamnet’s finale will overwhelm you with the faith in art as a salve for grief.
—Taylor Antrim, Vogue, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cathartic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cathartic
Adjective
-
The cranky and irritating backseat driver, who bums a lift midway through the Griswolds' adventure, also has with her the easily excitable pooch Dinky.—
Jordan Hoffman,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 Sep. 2025
-
Seriesly’s own pitching competitions were well attended and brought the excitable energy that newer talent brings to proceedings.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
19 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Trump said just last week that patented and branded drugs would face 100% levies unless companies build plants domestically.—
Alex Harring,
CNBC,
1 Oct. 2025
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The initial focus was to build cases against gang bosses on racketeering, terrorism and drug charges and extradite them to the United States.—
T. Christian Miller,
ProPublica,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The entire scene unfolded on Neuheisel’s network, which invited viewers to witness the emotional roller coaster of a father rooting for his son.—
Scott Dochterman,
New York Times,
5 Oct. 2025
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See the emotional exchange here.—
Griselda Flores,
Billboard,
4 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Sales of purgatives, tonics, syrups and patent medicines like Carter’s Little Liver Pills went through the roof as ordinary people were encouraged to closely monitor the frequency and quality of their bowel movements.—
Elsa Richardson,
TIME,
3 Oct. 2024
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Or merely the tall-tale purgative of a frantic Purgatorian?—
Tom Nolan,
WSJ,
11 June 2021
Adjective
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Their stories capture the creativity, resilience, and ambition that are making Arizona one of the most exciting places for innovation and entrepreneurship in 2025.—
Wyles Daniel,
AZCentral.com,
2 Oct. 2025
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Stories can be prepared, but since most decisions ultimately fall to the roll of the dice, there’s an exciting spontaneity for the millions of people watching at home.—
Elisabeth Garber-Paul,
Rolling Stone,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Taking magnesium at the same time as some other medications (such as antibiotics or bone-strengthening medications called bisphosphonates) can interfere with their absorption.—
Julie Scott,
Verywell Health,
2 Oct. 2025
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This means patients may be able to avoid years of medications, invasive surgeries, or lengthy downtime.—
Nia Bowers,
USA Today,
2 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The 44-year-old driver led the race for an impressive 159 laps, and a win seemed like an easy thing to achieve.—
Saajan Jogia,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
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Johnson’s performance is humble rather than showy, an impressive feat of control and restraint.—
Richard Lawson,
Rolling Stone,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
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In some cases, caffeine is made synthetically, as is the case for different types of products, including pain relievers, medicines, and beverages such as energy drinks.—
Angelica Bottaro,
Verywell Health,
30 Sep. 2025
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Among the other steps is pursuing tougher price negotiations abroad and adopting models that sell its medicines directly to consumers or businesses.—
Annika Kim Constantino,
CNBC,
30 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cathartic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cathartic. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.
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