as in athletic
strongly and heavily built
a burly delivery man brought the furniture
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 burly
Most trophy pictures are of happy players on the podium or big burly men kissing the reflective surface.
—
Emily Jan, San Francisco Chronicle, 11 Feb. 2026
Reporters flowed to Sullivan, Maine, for an audience with the burly oysterman (just as soon as they were done with the Jesus-loving Democrat in Texas).
—Mark Leibovich, The Atlantic, 11 Feb. 2026
Like Kevin Brown, the burly Reuschel was largely unappreciated during his time.
—David Faris, TheWeek, 9 Feb. 2026
The lineup switch put the smaller Stephon Castle or Harrison Barnes on him for the majority of the second half but the burly Turkish native couldn’t capitalize.
—Varun Shankar, Houston Chronicle, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for burly
Emily Jan, San Francisco Chronicle, 11 Feb. 2026
Reporters flowed to Sullivan, Maine, for an audience with the burly oysterman (just as soon as they were done with the Jesus-loving Democrat in Texas).
—Mark Leibovich, The Atlantic, 11 Feb. 2026
Like Kevin Brown, the burly Reuschel was largely unappreciated during his time.
—David Faris, TheWeek, 9 Feb. 2026
The lineup switch put the smaller Stephon Castle or Harrison Barnes on him for the majority of the second half but the burly Turkish native couldn’t capitalize.
—Varun Shankar, Houston Chronicle, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for burly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for burly
Adjective
-
After retiring from coaching, Conradt remained with UT’s athletic department in an advisor role.—
Lia Assimakopoulos,
Dallas Morning News,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Or that the athletic department costs $11 million to operate, but generates $33 million in tuition from students who’d likely be somewhere else if their sport were not offered there?—
Dom Amore,
Hartford Courant,
29 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
By December of that year, the company—run by individuals with no evident track record in global sports management—had secured a powerful contract with the Argentine Football Association.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
27 Mar. 2026
-
But its offense was still plenty powerful enough to send Houston back to its nearby campus.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
One such pet, Lainey, a husky shepherd, was found after going missing in Arizona with the help of a neighbor's Ring camera.—
Melina Khan,
USA Today,
13 Feb. 2026
-
The team can help plan reindeer and husky rides, reindeer farm visits, snowmobiles tours across the area’s fells and taiga forests, or Aurora-chasing tours, guided by local experts.—
Dobrina Zhekova,
Travel + Leisure,
29 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
It's beefy enough to support three 4K outputs simultaneously, and runs surprisingly quietly.—
K. Thor Jensen,
PC Magazine,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Brazilian tambaqui is a beefy freshwater fish that just happens to have a physique perfect for slicing into meaty, pork-like ribs.—
J.m. Hirsch,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
And in their place, a weed can grow into a mighty oak.—
Tyler Erzberger,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Marvin’s a cute little mushroom living in a cozy home beneath a mighty cedar tree.—
Mary Ann Grossmann,
Twin Cities,
28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
With tribe immunity at a premium in these early episodes, the targets may well be the players known as brainy schemers rather than brawny athletes.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
25 Feb. 2026
-
Gone are the days of a brawny construction worker or brainy engineer stepping up to build a sturdy shelter, winning the admiration (or the loathing) of their new tribemates.—
Kristen Geil,
Outside,
24 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Ejiofor managed 18 points against Kansas’ hulking frontcourt, albeit on 6-of-14 shooting.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
26 Mar. 2026
-
There are no hulking buffets or elbow-throwing brunch lines either; meals are seated, elegant and made to order, from Maine lobster pasta to seared foie gras and sashimi salads.—
Elycia Rubin,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Faulk should be more stout against the run than Robinson, but the drop in pass production is worrisome — the plunge in sacks from seven in 2024 to two last season and tackles for loss for 11 to five.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Reinforcing a stout defensive unit, center back Aaron Long, who underwent knee surgery last July, is likely to be reintegrated into team training by the end of the month.—
Josh Gross,
Daily News,
21 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Burly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/burly. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
