nerve-racking

adjective

ˈnərv-ˌra-kiŋ How to pronounce nerve-racking (audio)
variants or nerve-wracking
Definition of nerve-rackingnext
as in uneasy
marked by or causing agitation or uncomfortable feelings the nerve-racking wait to learn the identities of the passengers who were killed in the plane crash

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 nerve-racking Whitaker is just starting his first year, but is that nerve-racking to know as an actor? — Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 10 Apr. 2026 In the best-case scenario, what follows will be 13 minutes of nerve-racking tension—about half of which will be in radio blackout. — Lee Billings, Scientific American, 9 Apr. 2026 The ball will be reversed to Johnson in nerve-racking moments. — Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 12 Mar. 2026 Economists, analysts, and investors have spent the past few days sounding the alarm about stagflation, a uniquely nerve-racking scenario in which high inflation dogs a low-growth, stagnant economy. — Andrea Riquier, USA Today, 10 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for nerve-racking
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nerve-racking
  1. uneasy
  2. disturbing
  3. tense
  4. nervous
  5. anxious
  6. unsettling
  7. distressful
  8. unnerving
Adjective
  • But as mainstream coverage of looksmaxxing continues and people like Clavicular are platformed by the fashion establishment, professionals across the beauty ecosystem are still uneasy.
    — Mikey O'Connell, HollywoodReporter, 15 July 2026
  • Politics and sport have always been uneasy bedfellows, but until recently referees and other sport officials have rarely been dragged into the public discourse.
    — Graham Scott, New York Times, 9 July 2026
Definition of uneasy
Adjective
  • The film follows a man trapped inside a bar, where reality begins to unravel in increasingly disturbing ways.
    — Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 14 July 2026
  • At a time when politics is so absurd and disturbing, maybe political comedy is less funny.
    — Chris Smith, Vanity Fair, 13 July 2026
Definition of disturbing
Adjective
  • From Newt's family making first contact with a Facehugger to a wonderfully tense sentry gun sequence, Cameron's extra footage enhances a classic.
    — Richard Edwards, Space.com, 17 July 2026
  • In years when the contract is due to be renewed, the waiting period can get tense as fears that the convention will leave San Diego often surface when organizers demand new concessions from hoteliers and the city.
    — Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 July 2026
Definition of tense
Adjective
  • Some nervous observers are going so far as to swear off salads and other raw fruits and vegetables until the outbreak has run its course.
    — Nikki McCann Ramirez, Rolling Stone, 16 July 2026
  • But Griffin’s recent donation to Moody is not the only indication Republicans could be more nervous about Florida than the Senate races in other bright-red states.
    — Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 16 July 2026
Definition of nervous
Adjective
  • Max is accompanied on his adventures by anxious robot C-3PO AB Sitter, and FX, a magical alien masquerading as a toy who can turn the kid's implausibly impressive sand sculptures into fully functioning robots.
    — Richard Edwards, Space.com, 5 July 2026
  • America’s centennial in 1876 was celebrated with a grand exhibition that projected an image of national unity and inventiveness in the anxious aftermath of civil war and recession.
    — The New York Review of Books, The New York Review of Books, 4 July 2026
Definition of anxious
Adjective
  • After all, Against Nature is all about the unsettling atmosphere and the senses.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 4 July 2026
  • Seeking a fresh start, Ellie moves into a house on Delaney Row hoping to leave her troubled past behind, only to discover that her new home is steeped in dark secrets and unsettling mysteries.
    — Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 3 July 2026
Definition of unsettling
Adjective
  • And yet behind the distressful scene, a young man continues to butcher an animal.
    — Kaely Monahan, The Arizona Republic, 27 Mar. 2024
  • Despite the distressful news of Houston’s death that day, the event went forward to create a space for guests to mourn.
    — Elizabeth Wagmeister, CNN, 2 Feb. 2024
Definition of distressful
Adjective
  • The gods themselves are also an unnerving presence, omnipresent beings of colossal power who see humans as their playthings and view Ulysses' toils as some twisted spectator sport.
    — Richard Edwards, Space.com, 17 July 2026
  • There's an unnerving level of confidence in a summer rally, according to Bank of America Securities.
    — Sarah Min, CNBC, 14 July 2026
Definition of unnerving

Browse Nearby Words

nervelessly
nerve-racking
nerves
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Cite this Entry

“Nerve-racking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nerve-racking. Accessed 18 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of nerve-racking for Spanish Speakers

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