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rack

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verb

Synonym Chooser

How is the word rack different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of rack are afflict, torment, torture, and try. While all these words mean "to inflict on a person something that is hard to bear," rack stresses straining or wrenching.

a body racked by pain

When would afflict be a good substitute for rack?

Although the words afflict and rack have much in common, afflict is a general term and applies to the causing of pain or suffering or of acute annoyance, embarrassment, or any distress.

ills that afflict the elderly

When is it sensible to use torment instead of rack?

The meanings of torment and rack largely overlap; however, torment suggests persecution or the repeated inflicting of suffering or annoyance.

a horse tormented by flies

Where would torture be a reasonable alternative to rack?

The words torture and rack can be used in similar contexts, but torture adds the implication of causing unbearable pain or suffering.

tortured by a sense of guilt

When is try a more appropriate choice than rack?

The words try and rack are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, try suggests imposing something that strains the powers of endurance or of self-control.

children often try their parents' patience

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 rack
Noun
The inspector found mouse droppings under the chip rack, black organic residue in the ice machine and flies in the grocery area. Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Sep. 2025 Inspectors also found approximately 22 rodent droppings in several areas, including under the dry storage racks by the water heater and on the soda syrup boxes and the two-door cooler. Sacbee.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Verb
Place rack with rails for indirect grilling in place. Cathy Thomas, Oc Register, 18 Aug. 2025 Cottagecore enthusiasts may want to bookmark this two-in-one shelf and coat rack with playful scalloped detail for their modern farmhouse. Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 8 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for rack
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rack
Noun
  • Mushi takes his blanket and tucks himself into bed.
    Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025
  • Things only get worse when, after the guests go to bed, a tipsy Solène does cheerleading stunts with Damo by the Jacuzzi instead of working.
    Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 16 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Those with suicide ideation might attempt suicide, but these attempts often represent a desire to escape distress as opposed to end-of-life issues.
    Eric Wood, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
  • In Pennsylvania, lawmakers have still not broken out of the impasse, spelling financial distress for schools and counties that rely particularly heavily on state funding.
    Isabella Volmert, Fortune, 16 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • In 1988, a catastrophic heat wave and drought plagued the United States, killing thousands of people and triggering over $80 billion in damage.
    Zack Savitsky, Quanta Magazine, 15 Sep. 2025
  • Getty Images The Department of Education posted a new update on Monday on massive application backlogs plaguing several federal student loan forgiveness and repayment programs.
    Adam S. Minsky, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • What lingers are the fragments that weren’t rehearsed, a voice breaking, a note pulled from the back of a notebook, a chant that filled the room, a line spoken more to a spouse than to the cameras.
    Vibhas Ratanjee, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
  • Bolt-action rifles, prized for reliability, require the operator to pull the trigger for one round before manually chambering another round.
    Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 14 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • At the same time, Iryna also was a notorious homebody who often seemed happiest just spending time with family or curling up on the couch or her bed with her sketchbook.
    Theoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 16 Sep. 2025
  • A lot of the scenes were shot on the famous orange couch, where the friends shared some of their best one-liners and stories.
    James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The result is a universal film about the cyclicality of trauma and healing, about how people who’ve experienced trauma often choose to help others rather than confront their own pain—and the toll that can take.
    Travis Bean, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025
  • These recent cost-of-living gyrations, however, don’t mitigate the financial pain of the worst bout of inflation in four decades.
    Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 13 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The former human-rights lawyer entered on a tourist visa and filed for political asylum in October of that year, claiming the governments that succeeded Correa were persecuting him.
    Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 12 Sep. 2025
  • The decree eliminated many of the civil liberties in Germany, opening the way for the Nazis to persecute their opponents.
    The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 9 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Thousands of skeletal creatures were lying on bunks unable to move, while dead bodies were piled in heaps all around the camp, reeking of putrefaction.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 Sep. 2025
  • Wandering through the all-but-empty dormitories today, visitors see the spaces marked by the vertical support poles, which once housed nests of bunks.
    Don Sproul, Oc Register, 9 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Rack.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rack. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.

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