rack 1 of 2

Definition of racknext

rack

2 of 2

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

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
Scale-up refers to the connections within a single server rack — essentially those filing-cabinet looking structures containing a bunch of computing components. Zev Fima, CNBC, 5 Mar. 2026 Set a wire rack inside a large sheet pan and lightly coat with nonstick cooking spray (see Notes). The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Mar. 2026
Verb
Much of Tuesday’s suit focuses on the spring of 2024, when increasingly tumultuous protests over Israel’s war in Gaza racked UCLA. Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2026 Video footage showed Curry shooting with his left hand, racking the gun to fix a malfunction, taking out and reinserting a magazine, then checking his abdomen, apparently realizing he has been shot. Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 24 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for rack
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rack
Noun
  • In December 2020, O’Connor handed a drunk boy a condom and pushed him into a bed with a drunk girl, who locked herself in the bathroom out of fear, court documents state.
    Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2026
  • Just cut it low to the ground and build a planting bed over it.
    Daniel Scott, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Experts have long warned about the limits of AI in detecting emotional distress and the risks of immersive chatbot interactions.
    Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 5 Mar. 2026
  • In other calls, medical staff asked for ambulances for a 6-year-old boy with lethargy and a high fever, a 14-month-old in respiratory distress, and a 22-month-old with a fever and low oxygen levels.
    Laura Romero, ABC News, 4 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Gonzalez revealed weeks ago that tests on his shoulder, which has plagued him since September, showed a small tear.
    Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 7 Mar. 2026
  • Perched between China and India, ​the country of 30 million people has been plagued ​for ⁠decades by political instability, crippling a largely agrarian economy and worsening unemployment – structural issues compounded by rampant corruption.
    CNN Money, CNN Money, 6 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • This delicate top looks like it was pulled straight from Reformation or Doen’s website.
    Caroline Hughes, Travel + Leisure, 8 Mar. 2026
  • The blue Ford quickly comes to a full stop and Martinez is pulled from the vehicle and handcuffed by multiple officers.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 8 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Elijah Blue Allman, the son of pop icon Cher, was arrested Sunday in New Hampshire after police say he was found smoking a cigarette on the couch after breaking into a home.
    Matt Schooley, CBS News, 2 Mar. 2026
  • For example, the count might miss an individual who is staying on a friend’s couch, or in a hotel.
    Hannah Elsmore, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Despite major medical advances in non-opioid pain care, Medicare’s pricing structure still places generic opioids at the lowest cost tier, while safer non-opioid medications carry copays 10 to 20 times higher.
    Saul Anuzis, Boston Herald, 6 Mar. 2026
  • The pain fell hardest on all-female founding teams, which posted steeper drops in both deal value and count than mixed-gender cohorts, continuing a now multi-year divergence.
    Lily Mae Lazarus, Fortune, 6 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Making up between 8% to 17% of the country’s total population, Iran’s Kurdish minority has long been persecuted under the Islamic Republic.
    John Calabrese, The Conversation, 7 Mar. 2026
  • The agency’s leadership structure — chaired by active-duty officers loyal to Ortega — undermines its autonomy and allows the government to use financial oversight tools to persecute critics, Treasury said.
    Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 26 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Each has two bedrooms—the third tent’s second is a bunk room, while the other two are perfectly symmetrical in their king bed floor plans.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Mar. 2026
  • Their homes and businesses were seized while they were imprisoned, often in overcrowded, wooden bunk houses in bleak locations with harsh conditions.
    ABC News, ABC News, 3 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Rack.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rack. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.

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