racking 1 of 2

adjective

as in wrenching
intensely or unbearably painful a racking cough kept him awake all night

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racking

2 of 2

verb

present participle of rack
1
as in plaguing
to cause persistent suffering to the young man was racked with guilt over the lie he had told to his parents the country has been racked by years of civil war

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in pulling
to injure by overuse, misuse, or pressure she racked her brain trying to remember where she'd put the money the sails of the boat were racked by the storm's winds

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 racking
Verb
Diaz reportedly responded by racking his handgun and firing at Martinez’s feet. — Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 8 July 2026 Opponents of these warehouse-like complexes, which are filled with energy-hungry computer servers, are racking wins. — The Week Us, TheWeek, 6 July 2026 Kelce hasn't done too shabby either, racking in $111 million from NFL contracts alone. — Ralphie Aversa, USA Today, 25 June 2026 Six years ago, Donald Milton III, artistic director of the Atlanta Gay Men’s Chorus, was having lunch with the organization’s accompanist, Eric Baumgartner, racking their respective brains about future projects. — Jim Farmer, AJC.com, 10 June 2026 Theories of how the book survived Library Manager Myles Cooper has been racking his brain for an explanation of how the book found its way home. — Sneha Dhandapani, CNN Money, 30 May 2026 Detectives said the witness also told police about a video that had surfaced online that appeared to show Jones going to his vehicle, retrieving an object, and then making a racking motion consistent with using a gun before walking to where the shooting unfolded. — Matthew Ablon, CBS News, 27 Apr. 2026 Since avian flu turned eggs into a luxury item, pastry chef Annie Clemmons has spent countless hours in her Maryland workshop, racking her brains about how to replace them in her recipes. — Alex Harring, CNBC, 26 Feb. 2026 On the small screen, the influencer Gabriella Carr recently drew her sizable flock to a rejection spreadsheet, where the video creator and actress means to track all her professional door-slams with an eye to racking ’em up. — Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 4 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for racking
  1. wrenching
  2. plaguing
  3. pulling
  4. agonizing
  5. afflicting
  6. torturous
  7. persecuting
  8. intense
Adjective
  • His most wrenching scene, when Stagg receives a devastating personal call but cannot react amid the intense geopolitical stakes, captured this tension.
    — David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 26 May 2026
  • Another wrenching question, of course, is whether at least the younger Perez siblings would want or need to go with Olga to Guatemala if she were deported.
    — Tim Padgett, Sun Sentinel, 27 Mar. 2026
Definition of wrenching
Verb
  • The change comes amid recent scorching temperatures plaguing Californians statewide — temperatures that can pose a threat to their health.
    — Paris Barraza, USA Today, 28 July 2026
  • This completely sidesteps current debates plaguing Medicare Part B — namely, rapidly mounting medication spending has driven higher premiums and out-of-pocket payments for beneficiaries.
    — Pooja Yerramilli, STAT, 24 July 2026
Definition of plaguing
Verb
  • Philips said he’s been able to grow revenue by folding in four additional, smaller businesses, integrating their operations into his factory, and reinvesting heavily in systems rather than pulling cash out for himself.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Beyond using high-quality and fresh beans, keeping them whole until just before pulling the espresso is just as important.
    — Better Homes & Gardens, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of pulling
Adjective
  • But Semeru provides a crucial intimacy for Etna, whose experience of the war has been one of agonizing isolation.
    — Rachel Vorona Cote, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026
  • Those looking to avoid an agonizing morning commute or a chaotic weekend trip to the city should steer clear of the following areas.
    — Hannah Hudnall, USA Today, 30 July 2026
Definition of agonizing
Verb
  • Other writers have successfully captured the malaise afflicting the under-45 crowd and offered nutrient-dense characters.
    — Hillary Kelly, The Atlantic, 24 July 2026
  • One hour of media day player interviews, amid all the narratives afflicting the sport, felt like a long time to hold your breath.
    — Brian Hamilton, New York Times, 24 July 2026
Definition of afflicting
Adjective
  • From 1873 to 1991, the island served as Costa Rica’s principal penitentiary, where some of the country’s worst criminals were sent to serve often short and torturous sentences.
    — Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 24 July 2026
  • Hellraiser introduced audiences to the mythology of the Lament Configuration puzzle box, the home to a dimensional portal inhabited by the ritualistically torturous beings, the Cenobites, and their leader, the iconic Pinhead.
    — Abbey White, HollywoodReporter, 21 July 2026
Definition of torturous
Verb
  • Biden weaponized Law Enforcement against his political opponent, while also persecuting many other innocent people.
    — New York Times, New York Times, 11 June 2026
  • Jack Hayford, the founder of the King’s University, in Texas, claimed that the film was persecuting Christians, who only wanted to be treated equally.
    — Isaac Butler, New Yorker, 30 May 2026
Definition of persecuting
Adjective
  • An unusually intense El Niño event is gathering strength in the tropical Pacific in a hurry.
    — Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Thousands of Offers Nazareth University, located near Rochester, New York, is using direct admissions in part to reach those outside of the state where competition for students is particularly intense.
    — Bloomberg, Mercury News, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of intense

Browse Nearby Words

rackety
racking
racking up
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Cite this Entry

“Racking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/racking. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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