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
  • Now Gauff and her next opponent, Karolina Muchova, face off Thursday for a chance to transform their mutually uneasy relationships with the green blades beneath their feet into the biggest grass-court breakthrough of their careers.
    — Douglas Robson, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
  • The result is a tension stretched nearly to the snapping point, then resolved in an uneasy detente.
    — Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 6 July 2026
Definition of uneasy
Adjective
  • And so the disturbing part of the dissent in the mail ballot case was that this was about a very narrow issue, whether ballots that are postmarked by Election Day can be counted if they're received in some period after.
    — Tonya Mosley, NPR, 8 July 2026
  • The film is a modern take on creature horror movies told from the perspective of a young boy who slowly begins to discover his beloved parents are hiding a disturbing secret about his mother’s true nature.
    — Justin Kroll, Deadline, 7 July 2026
Definition of disturbing
Adjective
  • Jens Schluter | Afp | Getty Images Volkswagen's management plans to drastically reduce its model lineup and further cut capacity, although the German auto giant stopped short of announcing sweeping job cuts following tense stakeholder talks.
    — Sam Meredith, CNBC, 10 July 2026
  • Trump is presumably referring to the deployment of NATO troops to the Nordic island in January following tense discussions with European members over Greenland's future.
    — Jamie Gray, NBC news, 9 July 2026
Definition of tense
Adjective
  • The looming project was why Purohit was nervous to move her mother into Silverado last winter.
    — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
  • For most of the last decade the threat argument was a transatlantic one, with a nervous eastern flank pulling against a distracted west.
    — Güney Yıldız, Forbes.com, 7 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
  • Putting that aside, learning how closely Microsoft can keep tabs on your Windows PC is a bit unnerving, especially since there’s no way to opt out of the tracking.
    — Alan Henry, PC Magazine, 10 July 2026
  • Yet given its outsized consequence for 20th-century history, the momentum of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) Party proves particularly unnerving.
    — Ara H. Merjian, ARTnews.com, 10 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 12 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on nerve-racking

Nglish: Translation of nerve-racking for Spanish Speakers

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