wried; wrying
: to pull out of or as if out of proper shape : make awry
1
: bent, twisted, or turned usually abnormally to one side
a wry nose
2
: made by a deliberate distortion of the facial muscles often to express irony or mockery
a wry smile
4
: cleverly and often ironically or grimly humorous
a wry wit
wryness
noun
Examples of wry in a Sentence
Adjective
His books are noted for their wry humor.
When I asked her how she felt after winning the race, she gave me a wry smile and said, “Pretty tired.”
Recent Examples on the Web
Matthew Carey, Deadline, 20 Jan. 2026
Inspired by Sei Shonagon’s The Pillow Book and clocking in at a tight 130 pages, Little Labors is a wry, whip-smart, comfortingly strange tour through motherhood, babies, and the literary and cultural trappings of both.
—Literary Hub, 16 Jan. 2026
Their wry scenes together, which have the warmth of a rekindled flame, are the movie’s raison d’être.
—Hilton Als, New Yorker, 16 Jan. 2026
There’s no shortage of young women making confessional, wry pop music these days, but Hobert has carved out her own lane with a bookish persona and shrewdly specific lyrics bound in tidy and broadly appealing pop songs.
—Carrie Battan, Vulture, 15 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for wry
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Adjective
As with this trilogy’s previous installment, Depardon here depicts the hardships ofthe modern farmer with empathy but also a wry knowingness regarding the changing of the times.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 20 Jan. 2026
Inspired by Sei Shonagon’s The Pillow Book and clocking in at a tight 130 pages, Little Labors is a wry, whip-smart, comfortingly strange tour through motherhood, babies, and the literary and cultural trappings of both.
—Literary Hub, 16 Jan. 2026
Their wry scenes together, which have the warmth of a rekindled flame, are the movie’s raison d’être.
—Hilton Als, New Yorker, 16 Jan. 2026
There’s no shortage of young women making confessional, wry pop music these days, but Hobert has carved out her own lane with a bookish persona and shrewdly specific lyrics bound in tidy and broadly appealing pop songs.
—Carrie Battan, Vulture, 15 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for wry
Cite this Entry
“Wry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wry. Accessed 25 Jan. 2026.
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