bruising 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of bruisingnext
as in oppressive

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Dissimilar Words

bruising

2 of 2

verb

present participle of bruise
as in lacerating

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of bruising
Adjective
Marcus ends her book by wondering whether the neutral ideal of the court can survive the bruising battle of Kavanaugh’s confirmation process. — John Fabian Witt, The New Republic, 7 Apr. 2020 The University of Maryland, College Park has been at the center of most of the bruising scandals, most notably the death of a 19-year-old football player Jordan McNair and ensuing reports of a troubled culture within the athletic department. — Talia Richman, baltimoresun.com, 9 Nov. 2019 Even Mr Macron’s domestic standing has started to recover, having taken a bruising soon after coming into office. — The Economist, 7 Nov. 2019 Adding to the challenges for Chief Justice Roberts, the Supreme Court’s latest term, which ended in June, was particularly bruising and divisive. — Jess Bravin, WSJ, 7 Oct. 2018 See All Example Sentences for bruising
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bruising
  1. oppressive
  2. lacerating
  3. severe
  4. slashing
  5. exhausting
  6. haggling
  7. formidable
  8. hacking
Adjective
  • Thomas shocks Vision back to life, but this somehow alerts Butcherbird; Vision’s mindscape fills with oppressive red lighting, ominously circling birds, and TVs crackling with static.
    — Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 21 Oct. 2026
  • The tropical sun was oppressive, but company representatives were prepared with orange parasols, each with a dedicated barcode.
    — Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of oppressive
Verb
  • Two generations of viewers have now grown up consuming The Daily Show’s lacerating take on politics.
    — Chris Smith, Vanity Fair, 13 July 2026
  • In the last year, Huston has broken his eye socket — twice — and his jaw, as well as lacerating his kidney, per posts on his social media.
    — Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 28 June 2026
Definition of lacerating
Adjective
  • The crisis capped a week of severe weather in which rain swamped dozens of homes in Utah and tornadoes blew off roofs, knocked trees onto houses and downed power lines in Arizona.
    — MEAD GRUVER, Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Daniel Swain, a climate scientist with the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, says the severe thunderstorms are fueled by the large amount of moisture in the air.
    — Ava Berger, NPR, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of severe
Verb
  • Ukraine has attacked several Russian oil refineries and fuel depots, slashing Russia’s diesel exports by 75%, according to CNBC.
    — Dylan Lysen, Kansas City Star, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Their efforts focus on dismantling measures supporting transgender populations, particularly by restricting gender-neutral bathroom access and slashing dedicated welfare programs and specialized healthcare services.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of slashing
Adjective
  • The treatment routine my dermatologist recommended was exhausting.
    — Mackenzie Johnson, Glamour, 22 Oct. 2026
  • After the exhausting discourse and soft opening-week numbers, that certainly wasn’t the ideal conclusion to the first few weeks of the Blue Island rollout.
    — Kyle Denis, Billboard, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of exhausting
Verb
  • The Trasks encounter a wide swath of citizens, haggling with sneaky cheats, exploiting innocent fools, and befriending big-hearted neighbors.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 1 Oct. 2026
  • All that hoopla results in a heavy lift for news networks and involves haggling over the real estate for anchor booths and transmission facilities.
    — Daniel Strauss, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of haggling
Adjective
  • Wildwood is a dark tale, with whispers of a witch, set against the beautiful yet formidable backdrop of rural New England.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2026
  • American power was formidable but trust in America was priceless.
    — Fareed Zakaria, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of formidable
Verb
  • OpenAI has discovered several similar hacking incidents since the Hugging Face hack.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 21 Oct. 2026
  • And any hacker is more likely to take the easier route, such as hacking someone’s computer to steal their encryption keys, than to try breaking the mathematics protecting them.
    — Chris Stokel-Walker, Scientific American, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of hacking

Browse Nearby Words

bruises
bruising
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Cite this Entry

“Bruising.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bruising. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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