as in gruesome
extremely disturbing or repellent
the police report described the murder scene in grisly detail
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Recent Examples of grisly
Now that Love Story has had its grisly finale, surely the discourse surrounding the show is also nearing its end.
—
Bethy Squires, Vulture, 15 Apr. 2026
Where the original film centered around a scientist-interlocuter (actually an actor, Michael Carr) guiding viewers through a tour of the grisly footage, the new film has a proper plot.
—Mark Olsen, Twin Cities, 5 Apr. 2026
Corrigan has personally seen evidence of rats surviving even the grisliest encounters with traps, as well as videos of rats pushing metal bars off their necks and surviving for months after losing limbs to traps.
—Jason Bittel, Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026
Psarras spends the majority of his time slinking through space, scanning the highly detailed living room of opulence for the next steps of Tony’s grisly plan (the varied set design, which includes some ingenious touches with translucent walls, is by Ron Gasparinetti) .
—David John Chávez, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for grisly
Bethy Squires, Vulture, 15 Apr. 2026
Where the original film centered around a scientist-interlocuter (actually an actor, Michael Carr) guiding viewers through a tour of the grisly footage, the new film has a proper plot.
—Mark Olsen, Twin Cities, 5 Apr. 2026
Corrigan has personally seen evidence of rats surviving even the grisliest encounters with traps, as well as videos of rats pushing metal bars off their necks and surviving for months after losing limbs to traps.
—Jason Bittel, Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026
Psarras spends the majority of his time slinking through space, scanning the highly detailed living room of opulence for the next steps of Tony’s grisly plan (the varied set design, which includes some ingenious touches with translucent walls, is by Ron Gasparinetti) .
—David John Chávez, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for grisly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grisly
Adjective
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Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the Biden administration failed victims by not seeking the death penalty in many violent and gruesome cases.—
Claire Carter,
The Washington Examiner,
24 Apr. 2026
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Like Richards, many people also invite the public into the somewhat gruesome medical process.—
Rheana Murray,
The Atlantic,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The charges revealed key details and were among the first concrete public moves made in a grisly and horrific case that had been under a largely secret investigation in the seven months since the body of Celeste Rivas Hernandez was found.—
Andrew Dalton,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Apr. 2026
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On Thursday, another horrific crime rattled the city —15-year-old Jaden Pierre was beaten and fatally shot at point-blank range in a Queens playground.—
Rebecca White,
New York Daily News,
19 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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In the furthest part of space lies Dante 01, a detention facility that houses criminals who have committed the most shocking crimes imaginable.—
Sergio Pereira,
Space.com,
25 Apr. 2026
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Their latest documentary series looks set to continue that streak, exploring a shocking real case of love, betrayal, and justice.—
Fleurine Tideman,
Glamour,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Grisly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grisly. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
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