as in breathtaking
causing great emotional or mental stimulation
the movie's climax is a heart-stopping chase through the streets of San Francisco
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Recent Examples of heart-stopping
This was an ugly performance all around and won’t get the glow-up from a heart-stopping, last-second victory.
—
The Athletic Nfl Staff, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026
Our Great National Parks spreads its wings over five gorgeous episodes, taking the viewer through some of the world’s most heart-stopping sights.
—Tomris Laffly, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Dec. 2025
Evening Light) whose heart-stopping garden presence cannot be overstated.
—Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 6 Dec. 2025
The series explores the high-pressure experiences of first responders — including police officers, firefighters, and dispatchers — who are thrust into the most frightening, shocking, and heart-stopping situations.
—Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for heart-stopping
The Athletic Nfl Staff, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026
Our Great National Parks spreads its wings over five gorgeous episodes, taking the viewer through some of the world’s most heart-stopping sights.
—Tomris Laffly, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Dec. 2025
Evening Light) whose heart-stopping garden presence cannot be overstated.
—Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 6 Dec. 2025
The series explores the high-pressure experiences of first responders — including police officers, firefighters, and dispatchers — who are thrust into the most frightening, shocking, and heart-stopping situations.
—Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for heart-stopping
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heart-stopping
Adjective
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Wildly beautiful, Sydney Harbour National Park protects the islands and foreshore around the famous harbour, including some of the most breathtaking beaches, bushland, and coastal trails in the world.—
Sophie Davies,
Condé Nast Traveler,
15 Feb. 2026
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Since then, Ålesund has been known as a Scandinavian architectural gem, set against a breathtaking natural backdrop.—
Annabelle Dufraigne,
Architectural Digest,
15 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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What matchup Wednesday looks the most exciting?—
Dan Albano,
Oc Register,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Discoveries The new guard of American talent, Diotima, Ashlyn and Aisling Camps are consistently exciting and increasingly sophisticated in new and modern ways of dressing.—
Lisa Lockwood,
Footwear News,
17 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Now repeat for nine more songs that are sometimes thrilling and sometimes too much—beats wound beyond the point of pleasure, mixes overwhelmed with shrapnel.—
Kieran Press-Reynolds,
Pitchfork,
13 Feb. 2026
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In speedskating, the Netherlands’ Xandra Velzeboer won gold in the women’s 500-meter final, and her countryman Jens van ’t Wout won gold in the men’s 1,000 meters in a thrilling photo finish.—
The Sports Desk,
NBC news,
12 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Later during the keynote, Hounsou shared an interesting nugget about the film’s budget when asked by an audience member about the difficulty of getting period films about the African diaspora off the ground in Hollywood.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
15 Feb. 2026
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Bubic had an interesting offseason.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
15 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Heart-stopping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heart-stopping. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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