How to Use gnarly in a Sentence

gnarly

adjective
  • But why does stress cause such gnarly gut problems?
    — Ayana Underwood, Outside, 11 Dec. 2025
  • The buck had bases as big as a soda can, and was a gnarly, old warrior.
    — Jace Bauserman, Outdoor Life, 23 Dec. 2020
  • If your thyme gets too gnarly after a few years, replace it with new plants.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 11 June 2026
  • Goodbyes can be gnarly, but even the Goldbergs have to let go.
    — Edward Segarra, USA TODAY, 24 Feb. 2023
  • Meanwhile, Max's pals in the city tangle with some gnarly cats.
    — Katie Walsh, latimes.com, 5 June 2019
  • Meanwhile, Max’s pals in the city tangle with some gnarly cats.
    — Katie Walsh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 June 2019
  • There’s nothing like a steaming bowl of pho to stave off a gnarly hangover.
    — James Patrick Kelly, idahostatesman, 8 Feb. 2018
  • The gnarly, off-road tires — Goodyear Wranglers — clawed the earth.
    — Tribune News Service, cleveland, 10 Oct. 2020
  • Jane and the rest of the team are in a pretty gnarly spot when Blindspot returns.
    — Alamin Yohannes, EW.com, 6 May 2020
  • A little bit, which is why Bud has dope action scenes and does some gnarly things.
    — Adam B. Vary, Variety, 10 Nov. 2025
  • Sturdy rafters or gnarly tree branches will do just fine, as will the monkey bars at the park.
    — Jay Willis, GQ, 11 Dec. 2017
  • In the weeks following, a gnarly, pus-laden lump blossoms, then scabs and falls away.
    — Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 14 June 2022
  • An old lilac often becomes a dense tangle of thick, gnarly old stems, dead wood and new shoots.
    — Beth Botts, Chicago Tribune, 21 May 2022
  • His first round 64 came largely after the gnarly winds died down and the course eased up.
    — Brody Miller, New York Times, 19 June 2026
  • The strong scent of the bleach and the sour taste keep insects away, along with more gnarly pests like mice and rodents.
    — Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 Oct. 2024
  • The knotted prose is most often a reflection of gnarly states of mind.
    — Chloe Schama, Vogue, 20 June 2018
  • The gnarly Ed was supposed to be a silent sight-gag character.
    — Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY, 23 Nov. 2018
  • That gnarly smoothie isn't the only thing that Daniel finds hard to swallow.
    — Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 1 Jan. 2022
  • Boston traffic was too gnarly on Wednesday, so the bus turned around.
    — Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 9 Jan. 2026
  • Imagine straight-up gnarly adventures like this one but with a vessel built to the task.
    — New Atlas, 21 Aug. 2025
  • This industry can be pretty gnarly on your self-esteem.
    — Keaton Bell, Vogue, 11 Oct. 2025
  • Dubbed ‘the wave,’ this swooping style adds a gnarly twist to a typical French.
    — Amber Kallor, WSJ, 20 July 2022
  • Wrapped in a hazmat suit, she's led to the corpse of a middle-aged woman with a gnarly bite on her left leg.
    — Randall Colburn, EW.com, 23 Jan. 2023
  • But inside the horse is this gnarly, fearless cry for these characters and their place in the world.
    — Shaad D'souza, Vulture, 6 Aug. 2021
  • Reach out to a doctor who can help figure out if cough pearls are the best course of action to treat that gnarly cough.
    — Ayana Underwood, SELF, 7 Feb. 2024
  • Three is bent and gnarly (could be either an in-y or out-y) and holds the fire-making equipment wrapped in moss.
    — Literary Hub, 3 Nov. 2025
  • From a gnarly lie in the rough, his third shot from 116 yards found the barranca in front of the green.
    — Steve Gardner, USA TODAY, 16 June 2023
  • The gnarly fescue rough is one of the top concerns, though some of it was being mowed Tuesday.
    — Chadd Cripe, idahostatesman, 13 June 2017
  • Bleeding from the gnarly wound, Scott called for help over the train’s public address system.
    — Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 29 Feb. 2024
  • Passersby stopped to ask if my knees, covered in deep gashes and gnarly wounds, were OK.
    — Patrick Connolly, orlandosentinel.com, 11 Sep. 2019

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gnarly.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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