BRUISING Synonyms: 129 Similar and Opposite Words

bruising 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of bruising

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

Adjective

Resident's death under investigation The Middlesex County District Attorney's office, as well as the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, are examining whether the oppressive heat played any role in the resident's death.

— Kristina Rex, CBS News, 12 Oct. 2026
The combination was as oppressive as the thermometer reading.

— Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 4 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

Trump's continuing criticism of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and praise of Putin only give Putin further confidence the United States is not serious about imposing more severe sanctions.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 17 Oct. 2026
That role demands reliable equipment capable of transmitting strategic instructions during severe national security crises.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of severe

Verb

The city of Hollywood hosted a public meeting to give residents an opportunity to ask questions and learn more about Amendment 3, a ballot proposal aimed at drastically slashing property taxes.

— Ted Scouten, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026
McAvoy missed the first six games of the season as punishment for slashing Buffalo’s Zach Benson late in Game 6 of the first round of the playoffs last season when the Bruins got eliminated.

— ABC News, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of slashing

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

But the expansion of Bioko's strategy presents formidable challenges, from porous international borders to the sheer scale of the territory.

— ABC News, ABC News, 18 Oct. 2026
Although a small number of peptide medicines are already available as pills, most candidates still face formidable barriers to oral delivery.

— Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of formidable

Verb

Unfortunately, in a mounting number of cases these bots or agents have engaged in harmful behaviors their designers say go far beyond the instructions given to them, such as hacking into a rival company or government computer system.

— Laurent Belsie, Christian Science Monitor, 13 Oct. 2026
Companies in Japan and South Korea were hit with major cyberattacks, exposing millions of customer records and feeding fears that AI may be turbo-charging hacking efforts.

— Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of hacking

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bruises

bruising

bruit

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Style

“Bruising.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bruising. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of bruising

adjective

verb

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