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
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Recent Examples of racking
Lars Brandle, Billboard, 3 Sep. 2019
Verb
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
-
Or why this situation remains indicative of bigger issues plaguing our country, then and now?—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
6 Sep. 2025
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While the problems plaguing humanity — from political strife to poverty to natural disasters — might seem overwhelming, Dorantes said the property’s history illustrates how much the world can actually change.—
Angie Leventis Lourgos,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Instead, his impact, like pulling children into his winner's circle, will continue to be honored by other tracks.—
Stephanie Kuzydym,
The Courier-Journal,
3 Sep. 2025
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Carpenter spoke with Morning Edition host Leila Fadel about the challenges of relationships, her controversial album cover, which depicts her kneeling beside a man who is pulling her hair, and the new songs featured on the album.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Those who dismissed intersectionality saw such policies as little more than allowing the disadvantaged to commit crimes without consequences to make up for past inequities, afflicting crime victims from the same disadvantaged communities.—
John Scott Lewinski,
The Washington Examiner,
5 Sep. 2025
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Americans live shorter lives than their European equivalents, McClatchy News reported in April, but the trend of stagnant life expectancy appears to be afflicting European nations the same, according to the study.—
Irene Wright,
Miami Herald,
2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Their youngest son, Grayson, can still recall the day his parents reported to their separate facilities — and the agonizing decision of who to accompany.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Sep. 2025
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To see Gauff and Shelton live through the rollercoaster was agonizing and uplifting at the same time.—
Tim Ellis,
Forbes.com,
31 Aug. 2025
Verb
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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
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In July, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for two of the Taliban’s top leaders, accusing them of persecuting women and girls in Afghanistan, which the group dismissed.—
Astha Rajvanshi,
NBC news,
5 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Within the film’s compact running time, writer-director Ben Hania traces the fraught and torturous hours of January 29, 2024, when Palestine Red Crescent volunteers in the West Bank tried to calm a terrified 6-year-old girl and get an ambulance to her in Gaza.—
Sheri Linden,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Sep. 2025
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From the almost humorous to the truly torturous, being plunked into unknown wilderness in total isolation—which is what happens on Alone—results in all manner of strange mental phenomenon.—
Woniya Thibeault,
Outside,
26 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Jamie Simpson of Covington was sentenced in March to 60 years in prison for holding his wife captive and torturing her for hours before barricading himself inside her home in a lengthy standoff with police.—
Quinlan Bentley,
The Enquirer,
3 Sep. 2025
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Emmett was just 14 when he was kidnapped from his great-uncle’s house by two White men who later admitted to beating and torturing the teen before shooting him in the head and throwing his body into the Tallahatchie River, weighed down by a 75-pound cotton gin fan.—
Rebekah Riess,
CNN Money,
31 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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During periods of intense rainfall, the risk of flooding increases, particularly in low-lying and flood-prone areas.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
6 Sep. 2025
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Both require intense concentration, in order to be any good, and diligent practice, and both make use of imagination—which in tennis takes the form of anticipation—and creativity.—
Thomas Swick
September 5,
Literary Hub,
5 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Racking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/racking. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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