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 Feeling the weight of an entire country seems like a nerve-racking prospect, but the women of BINI take it in stride. — Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 17 Apr. 2026 One of the most dangerous and nerve-racking parts of the Artemis II mission is still ahead. — Tom Costello, NBC news, 10 Apr. 2026 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 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
  • The two had been in an uneasy alliance ruling the country following the 2019 overthrow of Sudan’s longtime dictator, Omar al-Bashir, who had been in power since 1989.
    — Chris Massaro, FOXNews.com, 29 July 2026
  • In the upcoming third season, Kimmie finally has a seat at the Bellarie table, but when a deadly family feud erupts, she’s forced into an uneasy alliance with Mallory.
    — Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 28 July 2026
Definition of uneasy
Adjective
  • In a handwritten criminal complaint, Patty’s ex-wife described a disturbing physical altercation that allegedly left her with a swollen arm, neck pain and a bump on her head.
    — Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 30 July 2026
  • The 1981 film revolves around a woman who begins exhibiting increasingly disturbing behavior after asking her husband for a divorce.
    — Justin Kroll, Deadline, 29 July 2026
Definition of disturbing
Adjective
  • In an interview, Stitt discussed the dust-up with Trump, warned against efforts to federalize elections, and expressed concern that a mammoth federal government has contributed to the country's tense political climate.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 31 July 2026
  • The tense scene would have dominated the night if not for Wilyer Abreu’s and Contreras’ back-to-back solo home runs off Luis Medina, which re-tied and took a deciding lead for Boston in the top of the eighth.
    — Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 31 July 2026
Definition of tense
Adjective
  • If your new pet seems shy, nervous or withdrawn, don't panic.
    — Madeline Gunderson, USA Today, 29 July 2026
  • In the moments leading up to the big question, Morando was admittedly nervous.
    — Ashlyn Robinette, PEOPLE, 29 July 2026
Definition of nervous
Adjective
  • Kids who, like him, are growing up afraid and anxious because of domestic violence at home, and who need what Torre didn’t have — somewhere safe to go to for help.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 26 July 2026
  • In June, a group of anxious European policy researchers issued Europe 2031, a scenario in which civilization between the Urals and the Atlantic ends up at least functionally extinct.
    — Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 25 July 2026
Definition of anxious
Adjective
  • The image could be a still from a film about an alien invasion, although the ominous light almost makes the figures seem like cinemagoers transfixed by something unsettling playing out onscreen.
    — Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 24 July 2026
  • The Houthi threat is so unsettling to oil markets because millions of barrels per day pass through the Bab el-Mandeb strait to reach global markets.
    — Steve Kopack, NBC news, 23 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
  • Even more unnerving than the sheer volume is how little the impact is understood and accounted for.
    — Denise Hruby, Miami Herald, 31 July 2026
  • What’s truly unnerving, however, is that whoever is perpetrating these crimes has the ability to control minds.
    — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 28 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 2 Aug. 2026.

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