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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of nerve-racking
For Riverside residents living in the surrounding area, the incident is nerve-racking and a little too close to home.
—
Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 13 Jan. 2026
Meeting the rapper, 44, in person proved to be a nerve-racking experience.
—Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 6 Jan. 2026
Caregiving like no other One reason that mental health caregivers particularly need support is that caring for someone with a serious mental illness can be nerve-racking, simply because of the nature of these disorders and diseases.
—Kat McGowan, NPR, 31 Dec. 2025
That was honestly the most nerve-racking thing.
—Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 25 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nerve-racking
Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 13 Jan. 2026
Meeting the rapper, 44, in person proved to be a nerve-racking experience.
—Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 6 Jan. 2026
Caregiving like no other One reason that mental health caregivers particularly need support is that caring for someone with a serious mental illness can be nerve-racking, simply because of the nature of these disorders and diseases.
—Kat McGowan, NPR, 31 Dec. 2025
That was honestly the most nerve-racking thing.
—Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 25 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nerve-racking
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nerve-racking
Adjective
-
As the nation gears up to celebrate its 250th birthday, most Americans feel uneasy about their present, and pessimistic about their future, polls show.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
22 June 2026
-
Sanders takes an uneasy step, into his wonderful, painful childhood.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
21 June 2026
Adjective
-
That normalization may be the most disturbing aspect of all.—
Andy J. Semotiuk,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2026
-
Although the project is unlikely to affect Jackson’s popularity much, some of the revelations uncovered during the investigation are disturbing.—
Yvonne Villarreal,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
Adjective
-
Total Football’s nearly moment It has largely been forgotten now, but the superb Total Football-playing Dutch team from the 1974 World Cup almost didn’t qualify for the competition — only pipping neighbours Belgium on goal difference following a tense 0-0 draw between the sides.—
Will Jeanes,
New York Times,
20 June 2026
-
At a time when the United States has tense relationships with many of its overseas allies, international tourists' appreciation of American culture offers a counterpoint to the animosity between politicians.—
Ava Berger,
NPR,
19 June 2026
Adjective
-
Fantasy managers were nervous about investing in Brown due to possible rotation but one per cent of them were rewarded with a goal, an assist and the scouting bonus.—
Holly Shand,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
-
Hundreds of thousands of fans, sitting in bars throughout the city, watched televisions in nervous silence.—
Jenna Thompson
June 16,
Kansas City Star,
16 June 2026
Adjective
-
Though fans are anxious to see Andrade return to more events, her job in Rio is done.—
Caroline Price,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2026
-
Homeless, his body torn, Odysseus needs to get back to her and Telemachus, his anxious son, and to clean up the mess.—
David Denby,
New Yorker,
21 June 2026
Adjective
-
Even when those withdrawals are planned, seeing balances decrease can feel unsettling.—
Andrew Rosen,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
-
Could Kadri, given the unsettling aspects of a trade and the finger injury, find a bump in play next year?—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
18 June 2026
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
Adjective
-
But Hawthorne conjures another unnerving transformation.—
John Swansburg,
The Atlantic,
15 June 2026
-
Their scenes together are by far the most unnerving in the film.—
Scott Tobias,
Vulture,
12 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nerve-racking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nerve-racking. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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