as in to bruise
to cut (someone's flesh) deeply or roughly
The broken glass lacerated his feet. The patient's hand was severely lacerated.
Related Words
Relevance
variants
or lacerated
as in shredded
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
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 lacerate
Adam Bradley Luis Alberto Rodriguez Carlos Nazario, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025
The scars of deforestation were hard to miss: riverbeds writhed through dry valleys, while surrounding hillsides were lacerated with gullies cut deep by centuries of erosion.
—Chris Schalkx, Vogue, 30 Sep. 2025
Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 12 Oct. 2024
Reared in New York's indelicate political culture, Trump does not like to appear meek, using rallies and his Twitter account to lacerate rivals.
—Paul Schwartzman and Josh Dawsey, chicagotribune.com, 9 July 2018
See All Example Sentences for lacerate
Verb
The songs are at times over-the-top, at others lacerating in their introspection about everything from the anxiety of aging to the anguished choice to terminate a pregnancy.
—Adam Bradley Luis Alberto Rodriguez Carlos Nazario, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025
The scars of deforestation were hard to miss: riverbeds writhed through dry valleys, while surrounding hillsides were lacerated with gullies cut deep by centuries of erosion.
—Chris Schalkx, Vogue, 30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
The Georgia native suffered a lacerated liver in the Buffs’ win over CSU in the 2023 Rocky Mountain Showdown and missed three games, returning for a 46-43 home loss to Stanford.
—Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 12 Oct. 2024
Reared in New York's indelicate political culture, Trump does not like to appear meek, using rallies and his Twitter account to lacerate rivals.
—Paul Schwartzman and Josh Dawsey, chicagotribune.com, 9 July 2018
See All Example Sentences for lacerate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lacerate
Verb
-
That focus on efficiency included a coldly logical approach to salary-cap management, and an update of the bruising defense that Belichick had pioneered with 49ers old rivals, the 1980s iteration of the New York Giants.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Profits at the country’s major industrial firms have been battered by the bruising price wars sweeping across several industries last year as sluggish consumer demands left companies grappling with excess capacity.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
While napa cabbage kimchi is the most common version in American grocery stores, just about any crunchy vegetable—such as daikon radishes, shredded carrots, and cucumbers—can be fermented and used the same way.—
Christina Chaey,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
1 Feb. 2026
-
After the chicken is mostly cooked, remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle chicken with shredded Italian-blend cheese.—
Heather Riske,
Better Homes & Gardens,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Jonathan has been wounded physically, mentally and emotionally at the end of this season.—
Hunter Ingram,
Variety,
1 Feb. 2026
-
Thirty years ago, the firestorm over a 21-day shutdown revived Bill Clinton's presidency and grievously wounded Newt Gingrich's speakership.—
Susan Page,
USA Today,
1 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Meanwhile, her glam was soft and even-toned, bolstered only by a sharp baby wing of black liner, highlight on her nose and a faded taupe hue on her lips.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Each of the 22 pages, about the size of those in a typical hardcover book, is inscribed on both sides with easily visible black and faded-brown words written by the monks.—
Ethan Baron,
Mercury News,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
From another ward not too far away, the piercing screams of a patient are audible.—
Sophia Saifi,
CNN Money,
3 Feb. 2026
-
The dress was a reference to Thierry Mugler’s bold and iconic spring couture 1998 runway show, in which Erica Vanbriel modeled the original nipple piercing dress.—
Alexandra Hildreth,
Vogue,
2 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lacerate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lacerate. Accessed 7 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
