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
Baltimore Sun Staff, Baltimore Sun, 24 Mar. 2025
There was intense, excruciating pain written all over the faces and croaking in the voices because it’s supposed to hurt when something this good comes to an end.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 23 Mar. 2025
Finally Brooks had to let down — that was excruciating.
—Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 13 Mar. 2025
This, along with the excruciating challenges of being in the wild, meant Mandy’s journey would test every ounce of her strength and resilience.
—Valerie Mesa, People.com, 8 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for excruciating
Adjective
That was thrilling, nail-biting and excruciating all at the same time.
—Baltimore Sun Staff, Baltimore Sun, 24 Mar. 2025
There was intense, excruciating pain written all over the faces and croaking in the voices because it’s supposed to hurt when something this good comes to an end.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 23 Mar. 2025
Finally Brooks had to let down — that was excruciating.
—Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 13 Mar. 2025
This, along with the excruciating challenges of being in the wild, meant Mandy’s journey would test every ounce of her strength and resilience.
—Valerie Mesa, People.com, 8 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for excruciating
Recent Examples of Synonyms for excruciating
Adjective
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Her viral speech in Minneapolis in 2020 remains one of the most searing indictments of state violence in recent memory.—
Sughnen Yongo,
Forbes.com,
10 Apr. 2025
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Image ‘Eric LaRue’ Directed by Michael Shannon, this searing drama centers on Janice (Judy Greer), who struggles to cope after her son commits a school shooting.—
The New York Times,
New York Times,
4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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But amidst this painful reality, a story rooted in joy, agency, and radical self-determination is emerging.—
Stephanie Long,
Essence,
17 Apr. 2025
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This is especially painful for individuals who are approaching Medicare eligibility, as a conversion might result in substantially higher premiums for Medicare Part B and Part D prescription coverage.—
Darla Mercado, CFP®,
CNBC,
17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The missions became more intense as Japan's outlook grew more dire and the military showcased the sacrifice of the pilots to drum up patriotism and support for the war.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
11 Apr. 2025
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Her message prompted an intense, impassioned reaction.—
Armon Sadler,
VIBE.com,
10 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Pair this struggle with the painstaking awareness that sleep is essential for your daily functioning, and sleep deprivation can quickly become maddening — or even torturous.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
2 Apr. 2025
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But the stubborn Pharaoh continued his torturous ways.—
Holly Rizzuto Palker,
Parents,
27 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Over the next two years, Muhammad rang up five more victories against progressively tougher competition.—
Trent Reinsmith,
Forbes.com,
15 Apr. 2025
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On the other side, the Grizzlies had an even tougher time with Curry, who finished with 52 points on 16-of-31 shooting.—
Anthony Slater,
New York Times,
14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Hope reigns even in this harsh political climate we Americans are now experiencing.—
Bea L. Hines,
Miami Herald,
17 Apr. 2025
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Several previous town halls gave a platform to politically damaging attacks on GOP lawmakers over Trump’s policies and especially the harsh cuts in government agencies engineered by billionaire first buddy Elon Musk.—
Dave Goldiner,
New York Daily News,
16 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Class-size mandates effectively compete with other investments, like hiring more mental health professionals or investing in intensive teacher training for the existing workforce.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
11 Apr. 2025
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That could include chemical-intensive lab work like testing sea lions, killer whales and walruses from Alaska for environmental contaminants, Tolimieri said.—
Lisa Song,
ProPublica,
11 Apr. 2025
Verb
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That’s changing this year, as three Democratic governors announced new initiatives aimed at addressing disparities afflicting boys and men.—
Elizabeth Robinson,
NBC news,
25 Mar. 2025
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One key focus of these efforts should address the deficiencies afflicting the market for biologics, which are medicines made or derived from biological processes.—
Wayne Winegarden,
Forbes,
5 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Excruciating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/excruciating. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
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