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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 heartrending Friedland has drawn upon those experiences for her tender and heartrending debut feature, Familiar Touch. Lisa Wong MacAbasco, Vogue, 20 June 2025 Later, her anguish over his unjust plight—and her inability to rectify it—is both a galvanizing force and a heartrending reality. Stephanie Zacharek, TIME, 13 Dec. 2024 The awards season might be in full swing, but Small Things Like These deserves to be acknowledge for its outstanding direction and beautiful cinematography, as much as it should be recognized for the poignant and heartrending performances from Cillian Murphy and Emily Watson, particularly. Maelle Beauget-Uhl, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024 It’s rooted in the same heartrending themes about tapping into power through passion, but sets itself apart by exploring the story through the specificity of Indian culture. Courtney Howard, Variety, 6 Mar. 2025 The awards season might be in full swing, but Small Things Like These deserves to be acknowledge for its outstanding direction and beautiful cinematography, as much as it should be recognized for the poignant and heartrending performances from Cillian Murphy and Emily Watson, particularly. Maelle Beauget-Uhl, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024 Garfield’s aptitude for self-conscious interiority and expertly modifying the tone and intensity of his performance is perfectly suited for the earnest, chaotic and heartrending demands of this modern dramedy. Rory Doherty, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2024 In its most heartrending section, a physical manifestation of the broken mother-child bond, 144 teak drawers slide open to display delicate objects that had been severed in half. Maria Laurino, The New Republic, 29 June 2023 Those possibilities become still more heartrending when Allison is allowed out on parole for a day, in scenes that Breslin plays with a wrenching mix of toughness, resignation and despair. Christi Carras, Los Angeles Times, 3 Aug. 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heartrending
Adjective
  • That's the sad reality facing many dogs in the wider shelter system.
    Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 July 2025
  • Sinner plowed through an ailing Novak Djokovic 6-3, 6-3, 6-4, in a match that could serve as a sad, unfortunate coda to one of the most remarkable grass careers in tennis history.
    Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 11 July 2025
Adjective
  • The tents are overrun by mosquitoes and other large insects, subjecting people to frequent and painful insect bites.
    Steve Bousquet, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 July 2025
  • Higher temperatures can be too hot for a dog’s paw pads and, in some cases, can cause painful burns.
    Cody Godwin, USA Today, 22 July 2025
Adjective
  • Although authorities said a criminal investigation is underway, a police spokesperson told the DPA that the force is currently considering the incident a tragic accident.
    Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 20 July 2025
  • The Louisiana native has been working steadily since the early ’90s, appearing in the Julia Roberts/Dennis Quaid vehicle Something To Talk About (1995), John Singleton’s tragic historical drama Rosewood (1997), and a string of high-profile TV series.
    EW.com, EW.com, 20 July 2025
Adjective
  • The double talk that is presented by both Republicans and Democrats alike is pathetic.
    Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 10 July 2025
  • Tehran's retaliation has, so far, been pathetic: a few missiles lobbed at an empty US base, complete with a heads-up.
    Carlo Versano, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 June 2025
Adjective
  • That this show could mark a turning point for free speech and the First Amendment is just too depressing to contemplate.
    Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 2 July 2025
  • But already there are major depressing effects on the ports and warehousing that are important contributors to California's economy.
    James Bickerton, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 June 2025
Adjective
  • The harsh reality is this: not all cell phone forensic extractions are created equal, and the most important evidence for trucking cases on the smartphone will be gone in days or weeks.
    Lars Daniel, Forbes.com, 22 July 2025
  • Late-night talk shows across the board are facing the harsh reality that declines in ad revenue can’t make up for burgeoning production costs.
    Liam Reilly, CNN Money, 22 July 2025
Adjective
  • Instead, like so many unfortunate accidents since cell phones were invented, this was caused by a distracted driver.
    Anne Marie D. Lee, CBS News, 14 July 2025
  • Fortunately for him, that gaffe will be a little easier to live down than Teal and Weinberg’s unfortunate comments.
    Krista Kafer, Denver Post, 12 July 2025
Adjective
  • This last group is those with still poor (<50) RS Ratings, but strong (>80) 3-month RS Ratings. a.
    Randy Watts, Forbes.com, 11 July 2025
  • But August is perhaps a poor month in which to rally the staff.
    John Updike, New Yorker, 11 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Heartrending.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heartrending. Accessed 25 Jul. 2025.

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