1
as in grim
harsh and threatening in manner or appearance
stark and forbidding mountains that the settlers knew that they would have to cross
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sheer
having no exceptions or restrictions
the school's stark prohibition against obscene slogans on clothing
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in devoid
lacking contents that could or should be present
house buyers trying to imagine what those stark rooms would look like when filled with furniture
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in desolate
producing inferior or only a small amount of vegetation
a once-lush landscape rendered depressingly stark by strip-mining and deforestation
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in spartan
providing only the essentials and nothing fancy or luxurious
monks who have committed themselves to living in stark cells and working and praying in silence
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of stark
The commentary is a stark reminder of how the president has reshaped the government in his own image.
—
Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2025
The endorsement is a stark change for Adams, 65.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 23 Oct. 2025
Hamid’s character is a stark warning against extremism in social movements.
—Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 22 Oct. 2025
The singer reached for a pair of Charles & Keith platform sandals in stark white to match the rest of her ensemble.
—Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stark
Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2025
The endorsement is a stark change for Adams, 65.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 23 Oct. 2025
Hamid’s character is a stark warning against extremism in social movements.
—Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 22 Oct. 2025
The singer reached for a pair of Charles & Keith platform sandals in stark white to match the rest of her ensemble.
—Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stark
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stark
Adjective
-
Cunning and a team of 46 other researchers published a grim study in the journal Science on Thursday that assesses the damage caused by a historic 2023 marine heat wave in Florida.—
Evan Bush,
NBC news,
23 Oct. 2025
-
Directed by Oscar winner Bille August, The Count of Monte Cristo stars Claflin as Edmond Dantès, a young sailor who was falsely accused of treason and is imprisoned without trial in the Château d’If, a grim island fortress off Marseille, France.—
Lynette Rice,
Deadline,
22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
That said, each tint is said to offer sheer, buildable coverage with the right touch of color.—
Tatayana Yomary,
Essence,
21 Oct. 2025
-
Naomi Watts also went sheer in a daring look from Valentino’s spring 2025 couture collection, which featured a voluminous skirt with a lacy top.—
Renan Botelho,
Footwear News,
21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Banking has become functionally correct but emotionally devoid, with the industry swimming in a sea of sameness.—
Michael Abbott,
Forbes,
19 Mar. 2025
-
That devoid ingredient hindered things exponentially.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
15 Feb. 2024
Adjective
-
To find the killer, Sherlock Holmes and Watson will have to brave desolate moors before a family curse dooms the newest heirs.—
Meredith G. White,
AZCentral.com,
1 Oct. 2025
-
With its primary tenant away, the pro stadium here in central Japan was desolate outside.—
Brad Lefton,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Made the short walk back down the hill, sat in the spartan dorm room that was my home for the next nine months.—
Sarah Chamberlain,
PEOPLE,
10 Oct. 2025
-
With ski season only a few weeks away, the Vail Pass rest area reopened to the public on Tuesday with a bigger, better building that replaced a spartan structure built in 1980.—
John Meyer,
Denver Post,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
But encounters with the island’s residents, including with his gruff but warm-hearted landlady (played by German screen legend Hanna Schygulla), gradually alter his outlook.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
20 Oct. 2025
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Panday plays a convincingly gruff tortured artist alongside Padda’s struggling ingenue, and most of the screen time is devoted to their pairing instead of introducing tertiary excess.—
Proma Khosla,
IndieWire,
13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Monochromatic Raven loves to stick to a simple, serene palette by combining a variety of white tulips with different bloom times.—
Miranda Crowell,
Better Homes & Gardens,
18 Oct. 2025
-
This Madewell version channels that effortless, neutral polish Kitts described—simple, structured, and endlessly versatile.—
Rosie Marder,
Travel + Leisure,
18 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Or for the wide swaths of empty seats in the upper deck that formed after the New York Giants put the game in a vice grip with a three-score lead late in the third quarter and put the Broncos on shutout watch.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
20 Oct. 2025
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The kitchen was empty, save for an enormous stockpot of broth, with chicken feet bobbing at the surface.—
Hannah Goldfield,
New Yorker,
20 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stark.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stark. Accessed 24 Oct. 2025.
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