1
as in inside(s)
the internal organs of the body
the student dissected the frog and looked at its guts with a mixture of fascination and disgust
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in courage
strength of mind to carry on in spite of danger
it took a lot of guts to rush into that burning building and save her cat
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in grit
the strength of mind that enables a person to endure pain or hardship
had the guts to keep running the race even though she felt like quitting
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in cleans
to take the internal organs out of
you'll need to gut the fish and wash it out before you can cook it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of guts
Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 24 Apr. 2026
Our bodies could then invest the surplus energy this saved into ganglia rather than guts, into frontal lobes instead of food.
—Big Think, 22 Apr. 2026
The real guts of it has to come from them.
—Dane Mizutani, Twin Cities, 17 Apr. 2026
But anyone who doesn't have a high tolerance for blood and guts should stay far away.
—Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 16 Apr. 2026
So there's a lot of us that were very wrong and our guts were not right.
—Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Apr. 2026
The trial participants experienced some initial bloating during the ramp-up that resolved as their guts adjusted.
—Allison Palmer, Kansas City Star, 10 Apr. 2026
As the Times reporters Jonathan Swan and Maggie Haberman revealed this week in their in-the-Situation Room account of how Trump decided to start the war, no one in his Cabinet of courtiers had the guts to challenge his mistaken assumptions.
—Susan B. Glasser, New Yorker, 9 Apr. 2026
May not be the brightest, but has guts.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 5 Apr. 2026
Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 12 Mar. 2026
And if the Supreme Court makes an early enough ruling that guts the Voting Rights Act, that could allow a slew of Southern states to redraw their maps before 2026 as well.
—Caroline Vakil, The Hill, 3 Dec. 2025
The government’s lawyers argued the ruling effectively guts a statute aimed at reducing gun violence by preventing unlawful drug users from wielding firearms.
—Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 20 Oct. 2025
Her death guts Maggie, but also brings her and Jackson, her mother’s surgeon, closer.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2025
Then the company guts what's left in the middle.
—ArsTechnica, 29 Sep. 2025
Seagulls circle low as Kyan Walker bones and guts the daily catch, which currently includes black cod and halibut.
—John King, San Francisco Chronicle, 5 Sep. 2023
Noun
Unseen are the several private viewing rooms, offices, and work spaces that secretly snake through the guts.
—Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 24 Apr. 2026
Our bodies could then invest the surplus energy this saved into ganglia rather than guts, into frontal lobes instead of food.
—Big Think, 22 Apr. 2026
The real guts of it has to come from them.
—Dane Mizutani, Twin Cities, 17 Apr. 2026
But anyone who doesn't have a high tolerance for blood and guts should stay far away.
—Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 16 Apr. 2026
So there's a lot of us that were very wrong and our guts were not right.
—Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Apr. 2026
The trial participants experienced some initial bloating during the ramp-up that resolved as their guts adjusted.
—Allison Palmer, Kansas City Star, 10 Apr. 2026
As the Times reporters Jonathan Swan and Maggie Haberman revealed this week in their in-the-Situation Room account of how Trump decided to start the war, no one in his Cabinet of courtiers had the guts to challenge his mistaken assumptions.
—Susan B. Glasser, New Yorker, 9 Apr. 2026
May not be the brightest, but has guts.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 5 Apr. 2026
Verb
The only realistic threat to Clyburn’s winning reelection would be if the conservative Supreme Court guts the Voting Rights Act and South Carolina Republicans redraw the state’s congressional districts before the fall elections.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 12 Mar. 2026
And if the Supreme Court makes an early enough ruling that guts the Voting Rights Act, that could allow a slew of Southern states to redraw their maps before 2026 as well.
—Caroline Vakil, The Hill, 3 Dec. 2025
The government’s lawyers argued the ruling effectively guts a statute aimed at reducing gun violence by preventing unlawful drug users from wielding firearms.
—Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 20 Oct. 2025
Her death guts Maggie, but also brings her and Jackson, her mother’s surgeon, closer.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2025
Then the company guts what's left in the middle.
—ArsTechnica, 29 Sep. 2025
Seagulls circle low as Kyan Walker bones and guts the daily catch, which currently includes black cod and halibut.
—John King, San Francisco Chronicle, 5 Sep. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for guts
Noun
-
The courage to make those choices and keep moving forward is what has defined my journey.—
Noor Lobad,
Footwear News,
28 Apr. 2026
-
But when a mysterious aircraft sinks into the ocean, Ally’s peaceful world is suddenly thrown into danger and is thrust into a journey real-life marine creatures as the film explores themes of friendship and courage.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Hard work, vision, grit all got her there.—
Wendy Naugle,
USA Today,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Philadelphia embodied the grit of a city on Friday night.—
Tony Jones,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
This not only cleans and deodorizes, but also helps remove mineral deposit buildup.—
Mary Cornetta,
Better Homes & Gardens,
17 Apr. 2026
-
His team cleans and converts messy internal files—from handwritten field notes for commercial clients to exotic classified file formats for the government—so they can be searched safely inside a secure vector database.—
Erik German,
Fortune,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
During my visit to New York, my wife and I will again pay our respects to the victims, the families, and the bravery shown in the face of terrible loss.—
KiMi Robinson,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
-
The key cabin crew are flight attendants Penny (Lucy Barrett) and Zoe (Na Shi), both of whom demonstrate bravery, to different ends, and show caring attention to the terrified children.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The First Eight's legacies of resistance and resolve, promise and purpose, faith and fortitude, continue to motivate me every day and in every way.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
25 Apr. 2026
-
The level of intense feelings that anchor the show requires mental fortitude, yes, but also open-hearted candor.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Upending age-old narrative traditions, Paul’s heroism takes a sinister turn when Herbert reveals that the Bene Gesserit, an Illuminati-like secretive order of psychic matriarchs, has long been conditioning the Fremen to expect the arrival of a messiah, or mahdi, in their native tongue.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
29 Apr. 2026
-
An all-too-familiar contrast between heroism and destructiveness.—
Editorial Board,
Washington Post,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Grossmont showed some spunk, rallying for three runs in the bottom of the inning.—
Don Norcross,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
2 Apr. 2026
-
An essay that lacks the rough edges, occasional clunky vocabulary, or endearing spunk of imperfect teenage writing can quickly indicate over-coaching (or, perhaps worse, the use of AI).—
Christopher Rim,
Forbes.com,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The reinterpretation of the timepieces draws from Tag Heuer’s design codes, powered by the Solargraph movement.—
Fairchild Studio,
Footwear News,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Meantime, Ty France draws the start at first base and Gavin Sheets is in the lineup at DH, giving the Padres a bench of Song, Miguel Andujar, Nick Castellanos, Bryce Johnson and catcher Luis Campusano.—
Jeff Sanders,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Guts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/guts. Accessed 30 Apr. 2026.
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