variants
or nerve-wracking
as in nervous
marked by or causing agitation or uncomfortable feelings
the nerve-racking wait to learn the identities of the passengers who were killed in the plane crash
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of nerve-racking
Fridays have become some of the most nerve-racking times for mass firings of civil servants since President Donald Trump took office on January 20 and established DOGE.
—
Nathan Layne, USA Today, 4 Apr. 2025
Even when he’s engulfed by neo-Nazi demonstrations, Talwar wants nothing more than to belong — a nerve-racking ethical tug-of-war that introduces a sense of danger.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 24 Feb. 2025
Multiple new blazes have erupted in Southern California The Hughes, Sepulveda and Laguna fires are the latest blazes in a nerve-racking week as Southern California heads into a fourth consecutive day of red flag fire weather warnings.
—Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 24 Jan. 2025
Getting used to the bare-bones shoot took time, but the nerve-racking encounters started on day one.
—Alamin Yohannes, EW.com, 15 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nerve-racking
Nathan Layne, USA Today, 4 Apr. 2025
Even when he’s engulfed by neo-Nazi demonstrations, Talwar wants nothing more than to belong — a nerve-racking ethical tug-of-war that introduces a sense of danger.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 24 Feb. 2025
Multiple new blazes have erupted in Southern California The Hughes, Sepulveda and Laguna fires are the latest blazes in a nerve-racking week as Southern California heads into a fourth consecutive day of red flag fire weather warnings.
—Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 24 Jan. 2025
Getting used to the bare-bones shoot took time, but the nerve-racking encounters started on day one.
—Alamin Yohannes, EW.com, 15 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nerve-racking
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nerve-racking
Adjective
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The price of gold tends to move when markets get nervous – and so does the gold.—
Ken Roberts,
Forbes.com,
24 May 2025
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It should also be noted that Demings is more than a little nervous right now about making any public promises about helping to finance a baseball stadium.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
22 May 2025
Adjective
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But recently, her videos detailing her tense, hours-long encounter with Customs at MIA went viral.—
Amanda Rosa,
Miami Herald,
4 June 2025
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While the two countries have announced a temporary truce that rolled back the three-digit tariffs for 90 days, relations remain tense with ongoing feuding over chip restrictions imposed by the US.—
John Liu,
CNN Money,
3 June 2025
Adjective
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In the novel’s historical re-creation, is there an anxious note to Americans now losing themselves in accommodation?—
David Denby,
New Yorker,
23 May 2025
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Both men were deeply anxious, in damage control mode.—
Andy Greenberg,
Wired News,
22 May 2025
Adjective
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In the wake of multiple plane crashes, and amid erratic federal policies and denials and detentions at border crossings, summer travel in the U.S. is in an uneasy state.—
Kevinisha Walker,
Los Angeles Times,
2 June 2025
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The opening moments cement its tonal dissonance as, with a twang of Daniel Kowalski’s spare, uneasy score, a brief prologue with fire, a flailing figure and mutterings about Satan snaps to a far more banal view of an empty street lined with dim, shuttered houses under a low, gray sky.—
Jessica Kiang,
Variety,
30 May 2025
Adjective
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Nothing has officially happened yet, but the tension is disturbing with the consequences potentially devastating.—
Mac Engel,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
27 May 2025
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That’s a quite disturbing possibility since AGI could wield such an act on a scale of immense magnitude and with globally adverse consequences.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
24 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nerve-racking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nerve-racking. Accessed 7 Jun. 2025.
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