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
Neal Riley, CBS News, 21 Apr. 2026
Biff shouts at him at the show’s excruciating climax) sways between light and dark, between the road and the deadly shoulder, advancing through his last hours on earth as if through the stations of the cross.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2026
Coming off an excruciating 119-loss season, the Rockies cleaned house in the front office and promised a new, exciting era of baseball.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 4 Apr. 2026
Obviously, the best part was watching Colby drop with a hard fall, rolling over in excruciating pain, and then giving Probst a thumbs up sign… because thumbs up signs are never not hilarious.
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for excruciating
Adjective
Some were in excruciating pain.
—Neal Riley, CBS News, 21 Apr. 2026
Biff shouts at him at the show’s excruciating climax) sways between light and dark, between the road and the deadly shoulder, advancing through his last hours on earth as if through the stations of the cross.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2026
Coming off an excruciating 119-loss season, the Rockies cleaned house in the front office and promised a new, exciting era of baseball.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 4 Apr. 2026
Obviously, the best part was watching Colby drop with a hard fall, rolling over in excruciating pain, and then giving Probst a thumbs up sign… because thumbs up signs are never not hilarious.
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for excruciating
Recent Examples of Synonyms for excruciating
Adjective
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Another wrenching question, of course, is whether at least the younger Perez siblings would want or need to go with Olga to Guatemala if she were deported.—
Tim Padgett,
Sun Sentinel,
27 Mar. 2026
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These four novels create a convincing, wrenching, kaleidoscopic picture of the range and repetitions of the most fatal kind of love; the sort of love that allows nothing else to grow around it, that eradicates all dignity; a love which, in order to be completed, must be told.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Lightly coated with oil and tossed occasionally in a searing hot skillet or wok, even tough beans turn silky, and ready to coat in a finishing blast of chiles.—
The Bon Appétit Staff,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
1 May 2026
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One of the most exciting restorations of this year, or any other year, comes to New York this Sunday, May 3rd, with a rare screening of Frank Perry’s searing and lyrical 1969 teen drama Last Summer at the Paris Theater.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Every labored breath and painful cough is a reminder that their parents did everything right and relied on the immunity of those around them.—
Sarah Marsicek,
The Orlando Sentinel,
26 Apr. 2026
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The Bruins’ have suffered more dramatically painful losses on home ice in recent memory.—
Stephen Conroy,
Hartford Courant,
26 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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By the final showdown, the production has made use of every bit of stage space, with sensational flying sequences (choreographed by Lauren Yalango-Grant and Christopher Cree Grant) that allow the vampires to float, hover, and—in one especially intense moment—dive from that bridge.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
30 Apr. 2026
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The moment has sparked an outpouring of empathy, with many pointing to the intense pressure drivers face on the job.—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN Money,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Windy conditions will still be plaguing most of Colorado on Thursday.—
Dave Aguilera,
CBS News,
23 Apr. 2026
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However, this isn’t a question only plaguing actors.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Activists claim the animals were living in torturous conditions and were being used for medical research.—
Brady Halbleib,
CBS News,
18 Apr. 2026
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But sad books need not be torturous books.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Lightly coated with oil and tossed occasionally in a searing hot skillet or wok, even tough beans turn silky, and ready to coat in a finishing blast of chiles.—
The Bon Appétit Staff,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
1 May 2026
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Comfortable travel can be achieved with stretchy, breathable pants, but securing a pair that hits those marks while looking stylish can be tough.—
Rachel Trujillo,
Travel + Leisure,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Accusations were made, lawsuits were filed, harsh words were spoken and feelings were hurt.—
CNN.com Wire Service,
Mercury News,
30 Apr. 2026
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It’s prized for sculpting a high-definition lip that holds up under the harshest red-carpet lighting.—
Micaela English,
Glamour,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Excruciating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/excruciating. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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