as in sorrow
deep sadness especially for the loss of someone or something loved
I understand the heartbreak you must feel over your grandmother's death
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Recent Examples of heartbreak
Wrestling with heartbreak and critics who didn’t understand him, and trying to find his place in a post-Sixties Watergate America, culminated in eight brilliant songs that hardcore Young fans love to endlessly talk about — more than Young sure ever did.
—
Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 13 Feb. 2026
Through Van Der Beek’s wistful performance, viewers were given a window through which to grapple with betrayal, death, heartbreak and a litany of bad decisions.
—Los Angeles Times, 12 Feb. 2026
Though his World Series moment didn’t occur with the Red Sox, the experience could lend insight into his new organization, which spent 86 years racking up similarly stunning last-second heartbreaks and unanswerable what-ifs.
—Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 11 Feb. 2026
Over the next few weeks, there will be stories of heartbreak and triumph, the shock of unexpected losses and the thrill of come-from-behind victories.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for heartbreak
Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 13 Feb. 2026
Through Van Der Beek’s wistful performance, viewers were given a window through which to grapple with betrayal, death, heartbreak and a litany of bad decisions.
—Los Angeles Times, 12 Feb. 2026
Though his World Series moment didn’t occur with the Red Sox, the experience could lend insight into his new organization, which spent 86 years racking up similarly stunning last-second heartbreaks and unanswerable what-ifs.
—Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 11 Feb. 2026
Over the next few weeks, there will be stories of heartbreak and triumph, the shock of unexpected losses and the thrill of come-from-behind victories.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for heartbreak
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heartbreak
Noun
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Buckley navigates the film in elemental sorrow without sentimentality, delivering what many consider the performance of the year, and undoubtedly her career so far.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
11 Feb. 2026
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Now, their families are turning sorrow into service.—
Ashley Paul,
CBS News,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
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In the r/MyBoyfriendisAI subreddit, many users posted about their grief.—
Alyssa Goldberg,
USA Today,
14 Feb. 2026
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As her power-hungry characters go through the five stages of grief, denial is the hardest one to let go of.—
Marta Balaga,
Variety,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Even now, more than 40 years later, the lasting image of her career is of Decker laying on the track in anguish and tears after colliding with Zola Budd in the 1984 Olympic 3,000-meter run.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
14 Feb. 2026
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Néfissa cries loudly and with anguish about her son, but refuses to acknowledge his truth.—
Murtada Elfadl,
Variety,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Heartbreak.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heartbreak. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.
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