1
as in wrenching
intensely or unbearably painful
he finally visited the doctor when the pain became too excruciating to ignore
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2
as in searing
difficult to endure
the excruciating heat that the settlers faced as they crossed the deserts of the Southwest
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3
as in painful
hard to accept or bear especially emotionally
most excruciating of all was the endless wait for news of any survivors of the plane crash
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4
as in intense
extreme in degree, power, or effect
the excruciating grief they felt upon the loss of their dear grandfather
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as in plaguing
to cause persistent suffering to
she has long been excruciated by an undiagnosed pain in her knee
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of excruciating
Lincee Ray, EW.com, 18 Jan. 2025
This injury not only caused excruciating pain but also forced her into a desperate situation where humans, slower and less elusive than her natural prey, became her sole means of survival.
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 16 Jan. 2025
The harrowing reality is that Hamas may have once again learned a chilling lesson: that abducting Israelis is a devastatingly effective tactic to fracture Israeli society and extract excruciating concessions.
—Michael Gfoeller and David H. Rundell, Newsweek, 16 Jan. 2025
So began a series of 16 excruciating rabies injections for Ron.
—Al Wolter, Outdoor Life, 10 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for excruciating 
Adjective
Please note that this death was excruciating for everyone involved, including me.
—Lincee Ray, EW.com, 18 Jan. 2025
This injury not only caused excruciating pain but also forced her into a desperate situation where humans, slower and less elusive than her natural prey, became her sole means of survival.
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 16 Jan. 2025
The harrowing reality is that Hamas may have once again learned a chilling lesson: that abducting Israelis is a devastatingly effective tactic to fracture Israeli society and extract excruciating concessions.
—Michael Gfoeller and David H. Rundell, Newsweek, 16 Jan. 2025
So began a series of 16 excruciating rabies injections for Ron.
—Al Wolter, Outdoor Life, 10 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for excruciating
Recent Examples of Synonyms for excruciating
Adjective
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At the end of the day, room could not be found for even Marianne Jean-Baptiste, a past Oscar nominee who swept the major critics awards for her searing turn in Hard Truths, or Angelina Jolie, a past Oscar winner and the A-lister of A-listers, who seemed an early front-runner for the biopic Maria.—
Scott Feinberg,
The Hollywood Reporter,
23 Jan. 2025
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Working for New York Gov. Nelson Rockefeller in California’s 1964 Republican presidential primary, the pair ran a searing campaign against Arizona Sen. Barry Goldwater, falling just shy of an upset.—
Mark Z. Barabak,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Trump also makes clear his intent to apply painful public and government pressure on private-sector DEI practices as well, and does not cloak his reasons.—
The Editors,
National Review,
23 Jan. 2025
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The Spanish government is moving to rein in real estate purchases by foreigners and curb the spread of short-term rentals, part of a series of measures that officials say are necessary to alleviate a painful housing crunch that has rapidly become one of the worst in Europe.—
Liz Alderman,
New York Times,
23 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Greenhouse gas emissions are driving temperature increases that make rain showers more intense, and high-rises have typically added stormwater injection wells to alleviate flooding.—
Denise Hruby,
Miami Herald,
31 Jan. 2025
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In 2019, essayist Sarah Chihaya had a nervous breakdown that coincided with a bout of the titular anxiety disorder, which causes someone to have an intense and irrational fear of books and writing.—
Shannon Carlin,
TIME,
31 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Editor’s picks ‘Brutal beatings’ Cooper and hundreds of Dozier students accused school wardens of torturous abuse over minor infractions, like whippings, beatings, forced labor, and medical neglect.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
15 Dec. 2024
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Minuscule, meticulous, torturous, and incomprehensible to most mortals.—
Jean-Philippe Toussaint,
Harper's Magazine,
22 July 2024
Adjective
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Bridges finished with 10 points on 3-of-12 shooting from the field against his old team, and Anunoby scored 20 points on 8-of-18 shooting from the field to go with tough defense on Johnson, who shot an abysmal 6-of-20 from the field for 16 points.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
22 Jan. 2025
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Though not nearly as consequential as Dallas losing Dončić, Minnesota took a tough blow Monday — Donte DiVincenzo will be out indefinitely due to a toe injury.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
The Athletic,
22 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Avoid harsh or irritating products such as hydroxy acids (AHAs and BHAs) or retinoids.—
Anna Giorgi,
Verywell Health,
22 Jan. 2025
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News Politics Maryland lawmakers will focus on several public safety proposals this legislative session, including harsher sentences for criminal offenders and more tools for law enforcement.—
Glynis Kazanjian,
Baltimore Sun,
22 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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In 2002, the Israeli military occupied the camp after 10 days of intensive fighting, according to the UN, during which time more than 400 houses were destroyed and over a quarter of the camp’s population was displaced.—
Nadeen Ebrahim,
CNN,
24 Jan. 2025
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The initial iteration of the program, launched with partners Nike and Right to Dream, gave six Ghanaian women the chance to participate in a three-month intensive coaches training experience.—
Vitas Carosella,
Forbes,
24 Jan. 2025
Verb
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An audacious plan In the mid-1980s, global health agencies were otherwise occupied and heads of state largely overlooked the illness afflicting millions of their citizens.—
Sam Mednick,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Dec. 2024
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The United States now suffers from twin pathologies—one afflicting the health of its citizens and the other the health of its political system.—
Thomas J. Bollyky,
Foreign Affairs,
30 Jan. 2020
Thesaurus Entries Near excruciating
Cite this Entry
“Excruciating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/excruciating. Accessed 3 Feb. 2025.
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