gut-wrenching

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Davidson described the emergence of a tic as a "gut-wrenching feeling in the middle of your stomach which slowly rises to your chest".

From BBC • Feb. 27, 2026

It’s not “Up”-level gut-wrenching, but the scenes establishing the heartbroken boy’s lingering trauma hit pretty hard.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 23, 2026

That hasn’t happened since World War II. It took a famously gut-wrenching recession to wring out the last bout of high inflation from the economy in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 14, 2026

Amy Madigan’s gut-wrenching turn in “Weapons” as the despicable, bewigged witch Aunt Gladys became impossible for the Academy to ignore, largely thanks to the amount of hype surrounding Madigan’s character.

From Salon • Jan. 23, 2026

He narrowed his eyes at me, and for a gut-wrenching heartbeat, I was sure that he was going to do the exact opposite just to spite me.

From "Glitch" by Laura Martin