1
as in gall
shameless boldness
you've got a lot of nerve showing up here
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in courage
strength of mind to carry on in spite of danger
that daring rescue took some nerve
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in shakes
nerves plural
a sense of panic or extreme nervousness
a veteran performer who still gets a case of the nerves before performances
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to brace
to prepare (oneself) mentally or emotionally
needs to nerve himself for the big game tomorrow
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of nerve
Marilyn La Jeunesse, Parents, 9 July 2025
Benton suffered a 10-inch bite that severed muscles, tendons and nerves, but survived the attack.
—Peter D'abrosca, FOXNews.com, 9 July 2025
Dodds, a club cricketer before assuming groundsman duties at first Stamford Bridge CC in York and then for Durham at South Northumberland CC, admits there can be nerves when watching the first hour on the opening morning of a four-day Championship fixture.
—Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 9 July 2025
Consider Otto Loewi, the German physiologist who helped prove that nerve signals are transmitted chemically.
—Chris Reed, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for nerve
Noun
This upbeat song highlights the excitement—and the nerves—of going to school for the first time and helps kids feel more excited (and less afraid) to make new friends.
—Marilyn La Jeunesse, Parents, 9 July 2025
Benton suffered a 10-inch bite that severed muscles, tendons and nerves, but survived the attack.
—Peter D'abrosca, FOXNews.com, 9 July 2025
Dodds, a club cricketer before assuming groundsman duties at first Stamford Bridge CC in York and then for Durham at South Northumberland CC, admits there can be nerves when watching the first hour on the opening morning of a four-day Championship fixture.
—Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 9 July 2025
Consider Otto Loewi, the German physiologist who helped prove that nerve signals are transmitted chemically.
—Chris Reed, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for nerve
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nerve
Noun
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People were essentially imprisoned in their homes, yet Newsom had the gall to dine mask-free at French Laundry with lobbyists.—
Houman Hemmati,
Oc Register,
20 July 2025
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And for all this some institutions have the gall to charge undergraduates upwards of $100,000 a year!—
Adrian Wooldridge,
Twin Cities,
6 May 2025
Noun
-
True leadership courage lies in rallying teams around a noble cause and recognizing when identity has become a barrier to necessary evolution.—
Nate Bennett,
Forbes.com,
17 July 2025
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Representing someone who could face capital punishment requires a unique combination of experience, courage and dedication, said Bob Boruchowitz, longtime director of the Defender Initiative at Seattle University’s law school.—
Kevin Fixler,
Idaho Statesman,
17 July 2025
Verb
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As school districts brace for budget shortfalls, communities await a decision that could reshape access to education and enrichment nationwide.—
Amanda Castro
Hannah Parry,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 July 2025
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Inflation data Stock futures were higher before the bell on Tuesday as investors braced for June’s consumer price index, due in at 8:30 a.m. ET.—
Josephine Rozzelle,
CNBC,
15 July 2025
Noun
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Putin’s arrogance in wanting total Ukrainian surrender could prove his downfall, if only Trump sticks to his position.—
Daniel Fried,
Time,
15 July 2025
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The arrogance wasn’t hers alone; many people have tried to assign the Tully monster a place in the tree of life since it was first discovered 70 years ago.—
Cody Cottier,
Discover Magazine,
8 July 2025
Noun
-
Larry loomed very large in their lives for a long time, so there was definitely a lot of bravery that people showed in coming forward to tell their truth.—
Elisabeth Garber-Paul,
Rolling Stone,
20 July 2025
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To come forward takes an extreme amount of bravery.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
16 July 2025
Verb
-
Tensions over the exchange led to Cambodian, then later Thai, soldiers fortifying positions along the border.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
25 July 2025
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Their critical work encompasses keeping systems operational, fortifying networks and upholding regulatory compliance.—
Dara Warn,
Forbes.com,
23 July 2025
Noun
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Each account is filled with a mixture of heroism and doomed misadventure.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
22 July 2025
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Letting the action unfold in something close to real time, director Fred Zinnemann builds the tension slowly, letting Kane’s mounting desperation, rather than gunfights and acts of heroism, push the film along.—
Keith Phipps,
Vulture,
18 July 2025
Verb
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Because the World Cup will be played in the U.S., Mexico and Canada, those countries have been spared an arduous qualifying competition — tense games that would have steeled them for the tournament ahead.—
Kevin Baxter,
Los Angeles Times,
10 June 2025
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The founders of Chime trudged into Amino Capital's bare-bones office early one Saturday morning in the summer of 2013, steeling themselves for disappointment.—
Stephen Pastis,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nerve.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nerve. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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