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
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
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
See All Example Sentences for nerve-racking
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
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
See All Example Sentences for nerve-racking
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nerve-racking
Adjective
-
In its blending of ’90s slowcore and post-rock, the Chicago quartet conjures an uneasy reprieve, casting resignation not as a dead end but an inevitable, enviable acceptance.—
Joshua Minsoo Kim,
Pitchfork,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Yet others remain uncertain about what the authority of a two-thirds majority will bring, with some uneasy about taking such a mandate from Orbán and delivering it to his opponent.—
Justin Spike,
Fortune,
13 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
That boss who had sent Kim all those disturbing love letters and images.—
Peter Van Sant,
CBS News,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Magyar’s most disturbing similarity with Orbán is his personality.—
Kapil Komireddi,
New Yorker,
10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Relations between China and Taiwan have been tense since 2016 when the Taiwanese public elected Tsai Ing-wen from the Democratic Progressive Party as president.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Is this a particularly tense time for them?—
Cressida Leyshon,
New Yorker,
12 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
But with all that protection and all the money spent, neighbors like Brown are still nervous.—
Andy Sheehan,
CBS News,
14 Apr. 2026
-
His presence made Kennedy nervous.—
Patrick Radden Keefe,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The 60-year-old was anxious at the onset of the spring planting season, rattling off the long list of issues affecting his family’s livelihood at their 2,000-acre farm near Wahoo, Nebraska.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Like him, Rue is squirming under Laurie’s thumb, anxious to get out.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
13 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
From shaping complex, layered roles to creating a world that feels both opulent and unsettling, the panel will unpack the storytelling choices that bring this gripping narrative to life.—
Marcus Jones,
IndieWire,
16 Apr. 2026
-
What is unsettling today is how easily modern leaders still reach for religious language to evade restraint, and how fragile the institutions meant to check them can appear.—
Joëlle Rollo-Koster,
Fortune,
15 Apr. 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
-
In it, a husband and wife adopt a cat, Sheila, who develops an unnerving disposition come nightfall.—
Mariella Rudi,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Apr. 2026
-
The goal differential at five-on-five (162-159) might be unnerving, but the body of work speaks for itself.—
Dom Luszczyszyn,
New York Times,
10 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nerve-racking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nerve-racking. Accessed 18 Apr. 2026.
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