as in wrenching
intensely or unbearably painful
a racking cough kept him awake all night
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in plaguing
to cause persistent suffering to
the young man was racked with guilt over the lie he had told to his parents the country has been racked by years of civil war
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in pulling
to injure by overuse, misuse, or pressure
she racked her brain trying to remember where she'd put the money the sails of the boat were racked by the storm's winds
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of racking
Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 3 Oct. 2025
But after racking just two flags through the first half's first 29 minutes, a critical pass-interference penalty in the final seconds moved Kansas City into position to kick a go-ahead field goal and provide the 9-6 halftime margin.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 22 Sep. 2025
Then came the rise of racking systems, e-commerce fulfillment and the drive for cubic efficiency.
—Allen Buchanan, Oc Register, 20 Sep. 2025
The Wiggles are a powerhouse, racking-up more than 30 million sales of albums and DVDs, and upwards of 8 million book sales.
—Lars Brandle, Billboard, 3 Sep. 2019
Verb
The machines autonomously lifted and placed panels onto racking structures, at the Goorambat East site, located near the city of Benalla, approximately 130 miles northeast of Melbourne.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 3 Oct. 2025
But after racking just two flags through the first half's first 29 minutes, a critical pass-interference penalty in the final seconds moved Kansas City into position to kick a go-ahead field goal and provide the 9-6 halftime margin.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 22 Sep. 2025
Then came the rise of racking systems, e-commerce fulfillment and the drive for cubic efficiency.
—Allen Buchanan, Oc Register, 20 Sep. 2025
The Wiggles are a powerhouse, racking-up more than 30 million sales of albums and DVDs, and upwards of 8 million book sales.
—Lars Brandle, Billboard, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for racking
Verb
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Jordan Shamir, co-founder and CEO of Yofi AI, said fraud and theft continue to be major issues plaguing brands and retailers of all sizes.—
Meghan Hall,
Sourcing Journal,
17 Oct. 2025
-
Politicians on both sides of the aisle widely condemned the attack, one of several high-profile acts of political violence plaguing the United States in recent years.—
Matt Lavietes,
NBC news,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The Marigold Room, just off the lobby, is an intimate music space and listening room for just 150 guests that’s already pulling national touring acts.—
Jennifer Bradley Franklin,
Travel + Leisure,
21 Oct. 2025
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Langham stopped the truck by pulling Hagen’s leg off the gas pedal and pushing the brake pedal with her hand.—
KC Baker,
PEOPLE,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Jewelry companies have begun raising the alarm over possible price increases afflicting already-weary consumers.—
J.D. Capelouto,
semafor.com,
7 Oct. 2025
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The bears’ behavior is also affected by climate change — for example, the megadrought currently afflicting this region.—
Ganesh Marín,
The Dial,
7 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
For those who lack access to medical supervision, Kahler said, the safest course is to proceed with an agonizing level of caution.—
Clayton Dalton,
New Yorker,
18 Oct. 2025
-
This isn’t to say writer and director Mary Bronstein’s film, about the agonizing deterioration of a woman whose life is falling down around her in near-apocalyptic fashion, isn’t worth watching.—
Bill Goodykoontz,
AZCentral.com,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
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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
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For 25 years, Chavism has co-opted Venezuela's infrastructure for its own enrichment, persecuting journalists and opposition, wrecking the economy, and leaving its citizens in poverty.—
Kristina Foltz,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Hiking through the deep snow drifts above 26,000 feet is torturous and time consuming.—
Frederick Dreier,
Outside,
8 Oct. 2025
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Bertino’s chamber piece unfolds over one torturous night and will be exclusive to Paramount’s streaming platform following its world premiere at Fantastic Fest in September.—
Brian Tallerico,
Vulture,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Murphy also revealed there would be a focus on the Hungarian noblewoman Elizabeth Báthory, who, along with her servants, was accused of torturing and killing hundreds of young women in the late 16th and early 17th centuries.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
9 Oct. 2025
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More than 3,000 Hamas fighters gunned down civilians, torturing and mutilating some of them in their own homes, still in their pajamas.—
Romina Ruiz-Goiriena,
USA Today,
4 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The intense taste and smell can make this tonic hard to stomach.—
Kathleen Ferraro,
Verywell Health,
24 Oct. 2025
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Part of what spurred intense interest, according to sources, was the success of Weapons, Zach Cregger’s summer horror hit.—
Borys Kit,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Racking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/racking. Accessed 26 Oct. 2025.
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