1
as in sad
causing unhappiness
a heartbreaking story of a family torn asunder by war
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in tragic
of a kind to cause great distress
the heartbreaking state of Main Street now that most of the businesses have closed
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in pathetic
deserving of one's pity
a heartbreaking attempt to escape that ends in disaster
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of heartbreaking
But just months after her breakthrough at Roland Garros, Anisimova suffered from a heartbreaking and shocking loss.
—
Jill Martin, CNN Money, 8 July 2025
As the golf world turned its attention to the winner at John Deere Classic, the PGA Tour paused the celebration to share heartbreaking news.
—Devlina Sarkar, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 July 2025
At the center of the narrative are the two girls, who become women with interwoven lives marked by staggering violence, fierce loyalty, and heartbreaking betrayal.
—Mia Barzilay Freund, Vogue, 7 July 2025
An animal shelter has shown the heartbreaking scenes owners giving up their pet don't get to witness.
—Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for heartbreaking
Jill Martin, CNN Money, 8 July 2025
As the golf world turned its attention to the winner at John Deere Classic, the PGA Tour paused the celebration to share heartbreaking news.
—Devlina Sarkar, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 July 2025
At the center of the narrative are the two girls, who become women with interwoven lives marked by staggering violence, fierce loyalty, and heartbreaking betrayal.
—Mia Barzilay Freund, Vogue, 7 July 2025
An animal shelter has shown the heartbreaking scenes owners giving up their pet don't get to witness.
—Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for heartbreaking
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heartbreaking
Adjective
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That's the sad reality facing many dogs in the wider shelter system.—
Jack Beresford,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 July 2025
-
Sinner plowed through an ailing Novak Djokovic 6-3, 6-3, 6-4, in a match that could serve as a sad, unfortunate coda to one of the most remarkable grass careers in tennis history.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
11 July 2025
Adjective
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John Burgess was among the victims of the tragic flooding in Texas Hill Country on the Fourth of July after the Guadalupe River rose around 26 feet in approximately 45 minutes, local media outlet KWTX reported.—
Becca Longmire,
People.com,
8 July 2025
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What remains, then, is a growing list of tragic lessons.—
Alexander Puutio,
Forbes.com,
8 July 2025
Adjective
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The double talk that is presented by both Republicans and Democrats alike is pathetic.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
10 July 2025
-
Tehran's retaliation has, so far, been pathetic: a few missiles lobbed at an empty US base, complete with a heads-up.—
Carlo Versano,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 June 2025
Adjective
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That this show could mark a turning point for free speech and the First Amendment is just too depressing to contemplate.—
Bill Goodykoontz,
AZCentral.com,
2 July 2025
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But already there are major depressing effects on the ports and warehousing that are important contributors to California's economy.—
James Bickerton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 June 2025
Adjective
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Instead, like so many unfortunate accidents since cell phones were invented, this was caused by a distracted driver.—
Anne Marie D. Lee,
CBS News,
14 July 2025
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Fortunately for him, that gaffe will be a little easier to live down than Teal and Weinberg’s unfortunate comments.—
Krista Kafer,
Denver Post,
12 July 2025
Adjective
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And at times, in certain places and situations, it was expected and welcome—on a long walk, or when a person confessed something pitiful, or at a funeral or a party.—
Zadie Smith,
New Yorker,
30 June 2025
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But Gilbert is oddly silent on this pitiful bouquet of pick-me behaviors in Girl on Girl.—
Book Marks
June 12,
Literary Hub,
12 June 2025
Adjective
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The day before the Apollo 11 moon launch on 16 July 1969, Ralph Abernathy, Martin Luther King’s successor as head of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, led a march of poor Black families, complete with wagons drawn by mules, to the fence of Cape Kennedy in Florida.—
Ekow Eshun
July 11,
Literary Hub,
11 July 2025
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For certain situations, particularly if someone is in poor health, experts generally say claiming early makes sense.—
Lorie Konish,
CNBC,
11 July 2025
Adjective
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For now, this is DeVries on the job: intent but measured, teeth ready to clamp down on his tongue, establishing standards while also very much trying to make sure his team isn’t miserable from the beginning.—
Brian Hamilton,
New York Times,
11 July 2025
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His Panthers opened the season with two miserable losses, complete with booing from fans in the home opener, and the 23-year-old soon became the first quarterback selected No. 1 overall in the Super Bowl era to be benched for non-injury reasons.—
Eric Jackson,
Sportico.com,
7 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Heartbreaking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heartbreaking. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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