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
While the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office began investigating the grisly murder, Aguasvivas-Lizardo sought to monitor its progress by receiving information from an Orange County deputy sheriff.
—
Cristóbal Reyes, The Orlando Sentinel, 12 Aug. 2025
This summer, Russia passed the grisly milestone of 1 million people killed or wounded as a result of the conflict.
—Ilan Berman, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2025
One of the invasive Burmese pythons plaguing South Florida met its demise in the jaws of an alligator, and the grisly scene played out in full view of tourists at Everglades National Park.
—Mark Price, Miami Herald, 11 Aug. 2025
The killing of Uribe, who came from a prominent Colombian political family, is for many in Colombia a grisly echo of the country’s history of political violence.
—Gerardo Lemos, CNN Money, 11 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grisly
Cristóbal Reyes, The Orlando Sentinel, 12 Aug. 2025
This summer, Russia passed the grisly milestone of 1 million people killed or wounded as a result of the conflict.
—Ilan Berman, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2025
One of the invasive Burmese pythons plaguing South Florida met its demise in the jaws of an alligator, and the grisly scene played out in full view of tourists at Everglades National Park.
—Mark Price, Miami Herald, 11 Aug. 2025
The killing of Uribe, who came from a prominent Colombian political family, is for many in Colombia a grisly echo of the country’s history of political violence.
—Gerardo Lemos, CNN Money, 11 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grisly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grisly
Adjective
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Gonzalez-Rasalas was charged with murder, desecrating a body and auto theft in a gruesome 2023 Easter Sunday homicide.—
Julia Coin,
Charlotte Observer,
6 Sep. 2025
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At the time, and in the next nearly two years, the Kansas City region also experienced the gruesome abuse and neglect deaths of three children ages 4 to 6, including one boy who fell from a 17th floor apartment window in November 2023.—
Laura Bauer,
Kansas City Star,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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An initial report of a paralyzed kitten being thrown down a staircase led police in Northern Ohio to a home where officers reported finding 13 young children living in horrific conditions.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
3 Sep. 2025
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But, really, does enough training exist that would prepare anyone for such a horrific emergency?—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The impressive amount of hair on the top of his head owes everything to United’s shocking results on the field.—
Don Riddell,
CNN Money,
2 Sep. 2025
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Seeing the Packers miss the playoffs would be a shocking outcome for the 2025 season.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Grisly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grisly. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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