variants
or nerve-wracking
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of nerve-racking
That was honestly the most nerve-racking thing.
—
Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 25 Dec. 2025
In Parker's nerve-racking scene, her character gives gifts to each member of the Stone clan in an effort to mend fences with them, and Keaton's signature wit is on full display.
—Lauren Huff, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Dec. 2025
Serious belly laughs and nerve-racking moments arrive in equal measure; tonally, there’s nothing quite like it.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 9 Dec. 2025
Meanwhile, Greengrass heaps calamity upon calamity, mounting the fire with nerve-racking expertise.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nerve-racking
Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 25 Dec. 2025
In Parker's nerve-racking scene, her character gives gifts to each member of the Stone clan in an effort to mend fences with them, and Keaton's signature wit is on full display.
—Lauren Huff, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Dec. 2025
Serious belly laughs and nerve-racking moments arrive in equal measure; tonally, there’s nothing quite like it.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 9 Dec. 2025
Meanwhile, Greengrass heaps calamity upon calamity, mounting the fire with nerve-racking expertise.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nerve-racking
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nerve-racking
Adjective
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Many of these stemmed from the uneasy coexistence of political parties with religion – which was newly protected by the First Amendment – and with the Catholic Church in particular.—
Derek Arnold,
The Conversation,
6 Apr. 2026
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So the uneasy authorities decided that such impertinence must be silenced once and for all.—
The Editorial Board,
Oc Register,
5 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The Drama stars Robert Pattinson and Zendaya as Charlie and Emma, a young couple whose lives and upcoming wedding are thrown into disarray when the latter drunkenly reveals a disturbing secret from her past.—
Mike Miller,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Apr. 2026
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The details her 10-year-old daughter provided were disturbing for any parent to hear.—
Ashley Sharp,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Diehard fans banged bass drums, songs emanated from the supporters’ wall and a packed stadium of 7,211 buzzed all the way through stoppage time of a tense game.—
Idaho Statesman,
Idaho Statesman,
5 Apr. 2026
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African American Language also tends to have nuance in its tense structure, incorporating modifiers and unique contractions.—
Moriah Humiston,
NBC news,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Behind yet another standout performance from Elliot Cadeau, who was named the Final Four’s most outstanding player, the Wolverines weathered a UConn run in the first half that had the massive throng of maize-and-blue fans in Indianapolis feeling nervous.—
Kyle Feldscher,
CNN Money,
7 Apr. 2026
-
King had been nervous about the casting process.—
Angelina Mazza,
Vulture,
7 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Although Amodei, who was leading the company’s safety team, had helped to pitch the deal to Bill Gates, many people on the team were anxious about it, fearing that Microsoft would insert provisions that overrode OpenAI’s ethical commitments.—
Ronan Farrow,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
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On the handful of occasions in each game between them when Jokic catches at the elbow and his teammates clear out, an anxious hush invariably falls over a buzzing arena.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
5 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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According to the film’s official logline, the story begins when police chief Bum-seok, played by Hwang, receives unsettling news from local youths that a tiger has appeared in the hills, a report that erupts into village-wide panic and soon escalates into something far stranger.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
9 Apr. 2026
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As the façade of privilege begins to crack, the film charts an unsettling psychological terrain.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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And yet behind the distressful scene, a young man continues to butcher an animal.—
Kaely Monahan,
The Arizona Republic,
27 Mar. 2024
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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
Adjective
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Plus, the fluidity of the situation is completely unnerving.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
29 Mar. 2026
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But in an unnerving testament to AI’s growing pervasiveness, and unchecked acceptance, that feeling wasn’t universal.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
25 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nerve-racking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nerve-racking. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
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