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.
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variants
or lacerated
as in shredded
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Example Sentences
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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
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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
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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
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People don’t mind waiting for owner Betty Martinez-Sperry’s ham croquetas, ropa vieja (shredded steak sautéed in tomato criollo sauce), and Cubano sandwiches.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
2 Jan. 2026
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Best Body Pillow for Most People The Snuggle-Pedic is one of the least expensive options on this list, and its shredded memory foam fill provides both support and a cushy feel, while its temperature-regulating bamboo cover ensures a comfortable sleep experience.—
Molly Higgins,
Wired News,
29 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Ukrainian officials said four people were killed and at least 22 wounded in the capital overnight.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
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Federal agents wounded two people in a shooting in Portland, Oregon, on Thursday.—
Ross O'Keefe,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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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
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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
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Bird by Bird is generous, charming, and quietly piercing.—
Jasna Hodžić,
Big Think,
29 Jan. 2026
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Author Ta-Nehisi Coates, an 8-year-old in West Baltimore at the time of the murder, offers piercing commentary on the impact of both the initial crime and the succeeding one, the grievously unjust trial that put three kids in the penitentiary.—
Sheri Linden,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lacerate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lacerate. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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