1
as in wrenching
intensely or unbearably painful
he finally visited the doctor when the pain became too excruciating to ignore
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2
as in searing
difficult to endure
the excruciating heat that the settlers faced as they crossed the deserts of the Southwest
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3
as in painful
hard to accept or bear especially emotionally
most excruciating of all was the endless wait for news of any survivors of the plane crash
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4
as in intense
extreme in degree, power, or effect
the excruciating grief they felt upon the loss of their dear grandfather
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as in plaguing
to cause persistent suffering to
she has long been excruciated by an undiagnosed pain in her knee
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of excruciating
Rebecca Leib, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2026
The series came to an excruciating end Sunday with the Sox blowing a five-run lead and falling 9-7 in front of 32,737 at American Family Field.
—Lamond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 29 Mar. 2026
The movie’s second half travels to the Gaza border for a series of excoriating, excruciating monologues with the literal fog of war as background.
—Jordan Hoffman, Vanity Fair, 25 Mar. 2026
Testifying at her own trial had been an excruciating exercise, Wilkens told me, not only because describing the abuse meant reliving it.
—Pamela Colloff, ProPublica, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for excruciating
Adjective
Enter World Cup Camp, a place where aging super fans can step into the lives of a professional footballer without the excruciating, chronic pain (more or less).
—Rebecca Leib, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2026
The series came to an excruciating end Sunday with the Sox blowing a five-run lead and falling 9-7 in front of 32,737 at American Family Field.
—Lamond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 29 Mar. 2026
The movie’s second half travels to the Gaza border for a series of excoriating, excruciating monologues with the literal fog of war as background.
—Jordan Hoffman, Vanity Fair, 25 Mar. 2026
Testifying at her own trial had been an excruciating exercise, Wilkens told me, not only because describing the abuse meant reliving it.
—Pamela Colloff, ProPublica, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for excruciating
Recent Examples of Synonyms for excruciating
Adjective
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Another wrenching question, of course, is whether at least the younger Perez siblings would want or need to go with Olga to Guatemala if she were deported.—
Tim Padgett,
Sun Sentinel,
27 Mar. 2026
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These four novels create a convincing, wrenching, kaleidoscopic picture of the range and repetitions of the most fatal kind of love; the sort of love that allows nothing else to grow around it, that eradicates all dignity; a love which, in order to be completed, must be told.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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In the wake of the extinction, on a planet beset by extreme swings in climate, with long periods of searing heat and brutal drought, Lystrosaurus flourished, becoming the most abundant terrestrial vertebrate around.—
Kate Wong,
Scientific American,
15 Apr. 2026
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By his third hosting gig in 2014, he was joined onstage during his monologue by Leonardo DiCaprio, his co-star in the searing satire The Wolf of Wall Street, a Martin Scorsese picture that netted Hill his second Oscar nomination for best supporting actor after Moneyball just three years earlier.—
Josh Spiegel,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Think about caring for an ill mate, losing income because of having to give up your job, having difficulty paying your bills and suffering from painful arthritis while serving as the unpaid caregiver.—
Helen Dennis,
Daily News,
19 Apr. 2026
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Jan Garrod said the cost of farming and trucking with the skyrocketing cost of diesel is almost too painful to think about.—
Laura Ness,
Mercury News,
19 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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No injuries were reported in the blaze and no structures were threatened, despite an extensive list of evacuation orders and warnings that were issued at the fire's most intense point.—
Zach Boetto,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
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Combining creatine with electrolytes may improve hydration and exercise performance, especially during intense or prolonged workouts.—
Morgan Pearson,
Verywell Health,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The incident is one in a string of recent crimes that have been plaguing San Fernando Valley residents.—
Dean Fioresi,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
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As those dry earlier, so do fuels lower down, exacerbating a drought already plaguing the West’s high plains.—
Christine Peterson,
Outdoor Life,
15 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Activists claim the animals were living in torturous conditions and were being used for medical research.—
Brady Halbleib,
CBS News,
18 Apr. 2026
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But sad books need not be torturous books.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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There were others like it against Ohtani as well, showing the Mets are still fouling off tough pitches and trying to keep at-bats alive, and some standout defensive plays made as well.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
16 Apr. 2026
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The toughest day belonged to someone who didn't even play.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Even in the harshest descriptions of the violence and almost unbelievably cruel twists of fate that Yarris endured (the DNA testing keeps getting accidentally mucked up), Brody lends him a vital indomitable spark.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
16 Apr. 2026
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When the camera's weren't rolling, McCracken says, Couric gave some harsh advice.—
Charles Trepany,
USA Today,
16 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Excruciating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/excruciating. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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