GUTS Synonyms: 113 Similar and Opposite Words

guts 1 of 2

noun

plural of gut

as in inside(s)

the internal organs of the body the student dissected the frog and looked at its guts with a mixture of fascination and disgust

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in courage

strength of mind to carry on in spite of danger it took a lot of guts to rush into that burning building and save her cat

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in grit

the strength of mind that enables a person to endure pain or hardship had the guts to keep running the race even though she felt like quitting

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

guts

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of gut

as in cleans

to take the internal organs out of you'll need to gut the fish and wash it out before you can cook it

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 guts

Noun

Finally, the guts are removed and filets are cut, skin optional. — Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026 For their version, which follows a young teen boy (Bean Reid’s Sam) who works to find his missing brother in a town haunted by an evil crop curse, the answer was pumpkin guts. — Abbey White, HollywoodReporter, 18 Oct. 2026 Whalefall is a movie that primarily takes place in the heaving guts of a sperm whale. — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 15 Oct. 2026 Marcus, however, showed a lot of grit and guts for a lad who was not expected to triumph. — Lars Brandle, Billboard, 14 Oct. 2026 Two crazy ass years have gone by (fast af) and my travels have left me, at 28, with a little more wisdom, more guts and ALOT more shoes! — Walden Green, Pitchfork, 12 Oct. 2026 Anybody who had guts back then to do something different was punk. — Steve Appleford, SPIN, 7 Oct. 2026 In other words, something changed, but the study can’t tell us whether those changes actually made participants’ guts healthier. — Ashley Lynch, Charlotte Observer, 6 Oct. 2026 Did anyone involved have the guts to tell him that this was a bad idea? — Manohla Dargis, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2026

Verb

Such incidental takings are the most common way that endangered animals die, the NYT reported, so advocates fear the move largely guts the ESA. — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 22 Sep. 2026 When the Supreme Court guts federal voting protections, every state has to decide whether to fill that void or exploit it. — Anthony G. Brown, Baltimore Sun, 26 June 2026 What most of us know is a relationship that goes sour, and the one that guts you the most is a love that goes wrong. — Stuart Miller, Oc Register, 7 May 2026 The only realistic threat to Clyburn’s winning reelection would be if the conservative Supreme Court guts the Voting Rights Act and South Carolina Republicans redraw the state’s congressional districts before the fall elections. — Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 12 Mar. 2026 And if the Supreme Court makes an early enough ruling that guts the Voting Rights Act, that could allow a slew of Southern states to redraw their maps before 2026 as well. — Caroline Vakil, The Hill, 3 Dec. 2025 The government’s lawyers argued the ruling effectively guts a statute aimed at reducing gun violence by preventing unlawful drug users from wielding firearms. — Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 20 Oct. 2025 Her death guts Maggie, but also brings her and Jackson, her mother’s surgeon, closer. — Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2025 Seagulls circle low as Kyan Walker bones and guts the daily catch, which currently includes black cod and halibut. — John King, San Francisco Chronicle, 5 Sep. 2023

Recent Examples of Synonyms for guts

Noun

Independence gave us the courage to cross the last threshold.

— Amelia Rose Barlow, Rolling Stone, 22 Oct. 2026
Michael Haneke’s adaptation of The Piano Teacher gives me courage.

— Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of courage

Noun

Cornbread, barbecue chicken, grits and seasonal market vegetables now showcase Brock’s inventive, soulful cooking — and have brought diners back to the restaurant.

— Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
The art of assemblage, a cobbling together of things with glue, glitter, and grit, became a way of life.

— Leslie Camhi, New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of grit

Verb

When a pharma or biotech company wants to test a new drug, Iqvia finds the sites, recruits the patients, runs the trial and cleans the data.

— Josh Brown,Sean Russo, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2026
That same dock features Vortex Wash, which automatically cleans the robot’s dirty wiping pads in about a minute.

— Matthew Huff, Time, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of cleans

Noun

But a rally outside Wednesday's meet — where the boy finished second among a field of 25 to help lead Camas to the girls district championship — showed that the adults are catching up in the bravery department.

— Matt Calkins OutKick, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2026
As possibly the most thrilling option in the entire park, the free-fall station tests visitors’ bravery.

— Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of bravery

Noun

But more importantly — and what comes with age — is having the fortitude not to follow them.

— Judith Martin, Sun Sentinel, 19 Sep. 2026
That mental fortitude stood out to Green during a minor-league game in which Voit started 0-for-4 with three strikeouts.

— Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of fortitude

Verb

Musical Style and Artistic Identity Finesse Gang Polo’s musical identity draws from hip-hop, R&B, and trap, with a connection to the sounds and culture of the American South.

— Kaitlyn Gomez, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2026
An on-site doctor’s office draws Fatimah (Noha Foad), an undocumented, illiterate Muslim woman suffering from seizures.

— Jay Weissberg, Variety, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of draws

Noun

Iâve always been drawn to exploring the more complex, human side of those experiences rather than simply celebrating the heroism.

— David Hookstead OutKick, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2026
While his photographs capture moments of power, individuality, and almost mythological heroism, the documentary will offer an opportunity to explore the complicated realities behind those images.

— Robert Lang, Deadline, 19 Oct. 2026