1
as in sad
causing unhappiness
a heartbreaking story of a family torn asunder by war
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in tragic
of a kind to cause great distress
the heartbreaking state of Main Street now that most of the businesses have closed
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in pathetic
deserving of one's pity
a heartbreaking attempt to escape that ends in disaster
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of heartbreaking
At the center of it all is stoic rancher Staten Kirkland (Duhamel), who is healing from heartbreaking loss and on a quest for vengeance.
—
Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 22 Sep. 2025
But the Missouri Tigers avoided any repeats from last year’s heartbreaking loss at South Carolina in a 29-20 win Saturday.
—Maddie Hartley, Kansas City Star, 21 Sep. 2025
Recently, Porter found the years-old video on her phone and shared the heartbreaking clip on TikTok, where the video went viral, amassing over 28 million views.
—Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 20 Sep. 2025
New York Giants coach Brian Daboll took virtually no heat from football peers this past week after his first-of-its-kind strategy call ended in a heartbreaking Big Blue loss.
—David K. Li, NBC news, 20 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for heartbreaking
Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 22 Sep. 2025
But the Missouri Tigers avoided any repeats from last year’s heartbreaking loss at South Carolina in a 29-20 win Saturday.
—Maddie Hartley, Kansas City Star, 21 Sep. 2025
Recently, Porter found the years-old video on her phone and shared the heartbreaking clip on TikTok, where the video went viral, amassing over 28 million views.
—Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 20 Sep. 2025
New York Giants coach Brian Daboll took virtually no heat from football peers this past week after his first-of-its-kind strategy call ended in a heartbreaking Big Blue loss.
—David K. Li, NBC news, 20 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for heartbreaking
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heartbreaking
Adjective
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As Malcolm and Henry prepare to return home, they are met with the sad news that Isaac Grant (Brian McCardie) has died, throwing Malcolm into a new leadership position.—
Maureen Lee Lenker,
Entertainment Weekly,
20 Sep. 2025
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Happy for her but selfishly sad.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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As America continues to face tragic acts of school violence, parishioners and leaders alike see Castillo’s example as a source of strength.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
21 Sep. 2025
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When people are directed to fill their spiritual emptiness with rage, the social outcome is predictably tragic.—
MSNBC Newsweek,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Characters can be pathetic, and frank about their Toledo Truth Teller’s bleak prospects.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
23 Sep. 2025
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Jimmy Kimmel is a pathetic hate monger.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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His 300th was in a depressing environment — at an empty stadium, in the first game of a seven-inning doubleheader in 2020.—
Sam Blum,
New York Times,
21 Sep. 2025
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The revelation is as depressing as a leverage penalty.—
Joe Nguyen,
Denver Post,
21 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Plus, Vince’s on-screen demise serves an unfortunate reminder of the realities of real-life firefighting.—
Claire Franken,
TVLine,
23 Sep. 2025
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The Ravens move on to Week 4 with an unfortunate stat, having scored 111 points across three games.—
Paulina Dedaj,
FOXNews.com,
23 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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On the side of the highway, Wilson cuts a pitiful, solitary figure.—
Dan Piepenbring,
Harpers Magazine,
19 Sep. 2025
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Sewell did a lot to rescue quarterback Jared Goff’s career and transform the pitiful Lions into annual Super Bowl contenders.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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There are 577 bridges in Milwaukee, and only 5% are considered to be in poor condition, according to a new Wisconsin Policy Forum report.—
Anna Kleiber,
jsonline.com,
25 Sep. 2025
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Last week, as financial panic escalated following Milei’s party’s poor showing in local elections, Argentina’s central bank spent more than $1 billion of its foreign currency reserves to keep the peso from collapsing.—
Allison Morrow,
CNN Money,
25 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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One woman, Chinni, described the work as miserable.—
Diaa Hadid,
NPR,
23 Sep. 2025
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O’Neill is playing the mom’s curmudgeonly father-in-law who seems intent on making everyone’s life miserable.—
Borys Kit,
HollywoodReporter,
22 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Heartbreaking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heartbreaking. Accessed 28 Sep. 2025.
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