as in murderous
eager for or marked by the shedding of blood, extreme violence, or killing
a movie so sanguinary that I covered my eyes during at least half of it
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Recent Examples of sanguinary
That battle would send Bonaparte on a dizzying journey up — and down and up and down — the greasy pole of French politics and military promotions, and it’s staged by Scott with sanguinary detail: Blood will spurt, spray and splatter throughout the battles that made him and undid him.
—
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post, 21 Nov. 2023
Of course, things don’t always go to plan, and apart from serving up varying portions of Reddick, Ian McShane and main course Keanu Reeves, the films are a sanguinary festival of fisticuffs, karate chops, spinning kicks, gunfire, stabbings, chases and exploding heads.
—Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 20 Sep. 2023
But most of the works in this show of 28 artists come from some place closer to the end, where violent outcomes are expressed in sanguinary hues.
—Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 26 May 2023
Last month, Uganda finally declared the country free of hemorrhagic fevers after three months of battling these seemingly omnipresent sanguinary viruses.
—Rebecca Kreston, Discover Magazine, 24 Nov. 2012
See All Example Sentences for sanguinary
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post, 21 Nov. 2023
Of course, things don’t always go to plan, and apart from serving up varying portions of Reddick, Ian McShane and main course Keanu Reeves, the films are a sanguinary festival of fisticuffs, karate chops, spinning kicks, gunfire, stabbings, chases and exploding heads.
—Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 20 Sep. 2023
But most of the works in this show of 28 artists come from some place closer to the end, where violent outcomes are expressed in sanguinary hues.
—Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 26 May 2023
Last month, Uganda finally declared the country free of hemorrhagic fevers after three months of battling these seemingly omnipresent sanguinary viruses.
—Rebecca Kreston, Discover Magazine, 24 Nov. 2012
See All Example Sentences for sanguinary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sanguinary
Adjective
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So, the whole thing just seems naive from people who’ve been oppressed by this murderous regime for 46 years.—
Fiction Non Fiction
July 3,
Literary Hub,
3 July 2025
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But if a surprise pregnancy isn’t the moment for a young man to find moral purpose, surely a surprise pregnancy inside a murderous game of death should be, right?—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
2 July 2025
Adjective
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After watching in terror as a man violently attacked a police officer in an El Cajon fast-food restaurant, Iesha Booker checked for a pulse on the bloody, unconscious officer and yelled into the radio on his belt.—
Karen Kucher,
sandiegouniontribune.com,
19 July 2017
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Photos of the man in a hospital bed with a bloody mouth were also posted.—
Jonece Starr Dunigan,
AL.com,
14 July 2017
Adjective
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The 2023 grand marshal is former Arizona Democratic congresswoman Gabby Giffords, gravely wounded in a savage mass shooting in 2011 that also killed six people.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Dec. 2022
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As savage Arctic cold was getting ready to surge south across North America, vivid imagery based on data from weather models showed us what was going to happen.—
Tom Yulsman,
Discover Magazine,
27 Dec. 2022
Adjective
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The mini tubs are portable, mess-free, and endlessly useful, especially on long flights where dry cabin air can be brutal.—
Alesandra Dubin,
Travel + Leisure,
11 July 2025
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The Eastern Conference is wide open after the brutal injuries to both Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton during the playoffs, and now the Knicks are saddled with the expectations of excellence.—
Tom Rende,
Forbes.com,
11 July 2025
Adjective
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The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a U.S.- and Israel-backed group, has faced backlash over reports of violent and even deadly incidents around its secure sites.—
Rachel Wolf,
FOXNews.com,
1 July 2025
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Before long, his life is plagued by a series of mysterious, sinister incidents that threaten to upend his success and bring about a most violent demise.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
1 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sanguinary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sanguinary. Accessed 15 Jul. 2025.
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