Definition of sanguinarynext

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective sanguinary contrast with its synonyms?

The words bloody and gory are common synonyms of sanguinary. While all three words mean "affected by or involving the shedding of blood," sanguinary applies especially to something attended by, or someone inclined to, bloodshed.

the Civil War was America's most sanguinary conflict

When is bloody a more appropriate choice than sanguinary?

The synonyms bloody and sanguinary are sometimes interchangeable, but bloody is applied especially to things that are actually covered with blood or are made up of blood.

bloody hands

When is it sensible to use gory instead of sanguinary?

The words gory and sanguinary can be used in similar contexts, but gory suggests a profusion of blood and slaughter.

exceptionally gory, even for a horror movie

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 sanguinary Mass shootings scarcely register anymore, unless the death toll reaches a certain sanguinary level. Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 14 July 2024 Michael Modafferi Lawmakers and order Yonkers: How many more innocents will be murdered, mugged and mauled by sanguinary, recidivist thugs and mentally ill individuals, none of whom belong unfettered on the streets of New York City and state, before the left-wing Democrats restore law and order? Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 27 Mar. 2024 An appeal to force was an admission of failure, and the pride of the new nation was the sense of overcoming the sanguinary reflexes of the old world. TIME, 31 Jan. 2024 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 See All Example Sentences for sanguinary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sanguinary
Adjective
  • Large swaths of territory in our region, including large parts of Mexico, really large parts of Mexico, have been controlled by murderous drug cartels.
    Dallas Morning News, Dallas Morning News, 25 Feb. 2026
  • For years, large swaths of territory in our region, including large parts of Mexico, really large parts of Mexico, have been controlled by murderous drug cartels.
    TIME Staff, Time, 25 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • The fight got bloody as the teams composed of older picklers exchanged taunts after some players were accused of not playing by the rules, not being able to take the heat in the kitchen.
    Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 23 Feb. 2026
  • The officers found condoms, a knife, lubricant, razor blades, bloody tissues, a Faraday bag commonly used to block electronic signals and a boarding pass for Pysher's flight in his motel room.
    Austin Turner, CBS News, 23 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • Watching Marcia Gay Harden embark on a savage killing spree was not on my cinematic bingo card for 2026.
    Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 19 Feb. 2026
  • Wade Wilson confessed to the savage murders of two women, yet even that brutality failed to repel admirers.
    Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 15 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • Two boys, ages 12 and 13, were charged by a grand jury this week as adults in the brutal rape of a 12-year-old girl in the garden area of a Miami apartment complex over the summer.
    David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 27 Feb. 2026
  • Sabrina Carpenter, Olivia Rodrigo, and SZA have all condemned the use of their music in propaganda videos tied to the government’s brutal immigration crackdown.
    Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 27 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • In its early days, the UFC was so violent, with almost no rules, that it was effectively exiled to pay-per-view.
    Luke Burbank, CBS News, 1 Mar. 2026
  • As the material appears to shift from soft to hard, the outward and downward movements of the tubes no longer suggest the gentle pressure of filling and escaping air, but imply a decidedly more violent bending and crushing of metal, as if the tubes had been pushed out of shape against their will.
    Gordon Hughes, Artforum, 1 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Sanguinary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sanguinary. Accessed 3 Mar. 2026.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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