as in gruesome
informal
causing great mental or emotional pain
gut-wrenching decisions the novel's gut-wrenching opening scene
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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 gut-wrenching
Every new detail about the case has been more gut-wrenching than the last, and with each passing moment without any real leads, the concern about Nancy Guthrie’s well-being grows.
—
Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 9 Feb. 2026
Raha’s story has spread quickly in recent weeks in part because her Telegram posts express a joyful nature that is now gut-wrenching to behold.
—Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 6 Feb. 2026
Hearing disgusting lies spread about my brother is absolutely gut-wrenching, and my family is deeply grateful so many people have stood up and helped tell his truth.
—Nicole Sganga, CBS News, 27 Jan. 2026
Hearing those words was gut-wrenching.
—Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gut-wrenching
Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 9 Feb. 2026
Raha’s story has spread quickly in recent weeks in part because her Telegram posts express a joyful nature that is now gut-wrenching to behold.
—Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 6 Feb. 2026
Hearing disgusting lies spread about my brother is absolutely gut-wrenching, and my family is deeply grateful so many people have stood up and helped tell his truth.
—Nicole Sganga, CBS News, 27 Jan. 2026
Hearing those words was gut-wrenching.
—Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gut-wrenching
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gut-wrenching
Adjective
-
What follows is a crescendo of bloody madness, including a gruesome toenail cutting scene that shouldn’t be viewed while eating, a grandma being eaten alive by a pack of coyotes and a truly bonkers wake that erupts into laugh-out-loud violence thanks to a pair of dentures.—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Since then, The Pitt has blown up in an unlikely way for any cultural object in the 2020s, much less a gruesome medical drama.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
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
-
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
-
What was true in the Jazz Age remains so, as the Roundabout Theatre Company production starring the terrific Rose Byrne and Kelli O’Hara, opening tonight, so bountifully proves.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
19 Apr. 2026
-
Maple and soy are terrific flavor partners for salmon, masking any slightly fishy flavor that turns off some eaters.—
Josh Miller,
Southern Living,
18 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Zendaya and Robert Pattinson star in Kristoffer Borgli’s rug-pull rom-com, which follows a soon-to-be-married couple whose relationship implodes after a shocking revelation.—
Jack Dunn,
Variety,
11 Apr. 2026
-
The series abruptly concluded with Lois' shocking pregnancy news and Malcolm just starting his freshman year at Harvard.—
Samantha Stutsman,
PEOPLE,
10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Some of his acts are dangerous or terrifying.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
12 Apr. 2026
-
In 1972, Ann-Margret fell 22 feet from a stage during a performance — a terrifying moment that could have ended her career.—
Stephanie Giang-Paunon,
FOXNews.com,
11 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Showvay was interviewed in the doc and reflected on everything from her first date with Schipper to the shock of finding out the horrifying things her husband had done.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
14 Apr. 2026
-
The film is set in the idyllic summer town of Bayleen Bay, which descends into madness when an ice cream man serves kids from his truck with horrifying results.—
Arushi Jacob,
Variety,
13 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Housed in a building with a dimpled façade that many say looks like a cheese grater, the Broad houses the collection of Edythe Broad, who accumulated a formidable cache of contemporary art with her late husband Eli.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Homages to Chile’s formidable troika are among the record 10 the festival has planned for this edition, said festival director Estrella Araiza.—
Anna Marie de la Fuente,
Variety,
17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Beats that might once have been framed through a hazy, absurdist lens now play as something much more fatalistic and frightening.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Forget about sonic or other frightening devices.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
19 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gut-wrenching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gut-wrenching. Accessed 22 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
