1
as in gruff
harsh and threatening in manner or appearance
pinned them with a steely gaze and demanded to know what they were doing
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in grey
of the color gray
steely eyes that are the color of a stormy sky
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of steely
Giants this weekend, then the Padres from July 28-30 — kept afloat by its steely overachievers on the mound.
—
Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 25 July 2025
The steely blue, flesh-and-blood missile vaulted 10, 15, then 20 feet against the sky, then crashed home on its side in a shimmering explosion.
—Pat Smith, Outdoor Life, 24 July 2025
Alex Williams, an Indiana native with a mesmerizing, Stapleton-like baritone and a steely gaze, found himself in the middle of that search.
—Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 18 July 2025
The British singer, producer, dancer, and actress has always operated from the periphery, eschewing straight-up bangers for steely, elusive mood pieces; what her songs lack in top 40 appeal they more than make up for in vision.
—Allaire Nuss, EW.com, 13 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for steely
Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 25 July 2025
The steely blue, flesh-and-blood missile vaulted 10, 15, then 20 feet against the sky, then crashed home on its side in a shimmering explosion.
—Pat Smith, Outdoor Life, 24 July 2025
Alex Williams, an Indiana native with a mesmerizing, Stapleton-like baritone and a steely gaze, found himself in the middle of that search.
—Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 18 July 2025
The British singer, producer, dancer, and actress has always operated from the periphery, eschewing straight-up bangers for steely, elusive mood pieces; what her songs lack in top 40 appeal they more than make up for in vision.
—Allaire Nuss, EW.com, 13 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for steely
Recent Examples of Synonyms for steely
Adjective
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The central quartet of friends have a supportive connection underneath all their hormones and egos — Elba proves a standout as the gruff but warm defacto leader — that makes their bloody and sexed-up misadventures oddly wholesome.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
13 Aug. 2025
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Dougal MacKenzie loves a good prank — and so do the actors who play the gruff Highland Scot.—
Maureen Lee Lenker Published,
EW.com,
25 July 2025
Adjective
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Dark grey smoke could be seen billowing as the explosion occurred during a time-lapse video shared by ABC affiliate WTAE.—
Jillian Frankel,
People.com,
11 Aug. 2025
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The former Michigan Wolverine led the grey team, coached by UConn’s associate head coach Kimani Young, to a blowout, 73-36 win over first-year assistant Mike Nardi’s blue squad.—
Joe Arruda,
Hartford Courant,
8 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Over the past three seasons, viewers have grown fond of Laurel, Belly’s stern but loving mom, whose friendship with the Fisher boys’ mom, Susannah (Rachel Blanchard), is the reason Belly’s in this whole brother-love-triangle mess to begin with.—
Sam Reed,
Glamour,
20 Aug. 2025
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Yet the power in these two performances isn’t supplemented by much texture in the stern, declamatory writing: There’s little sense of how this relationship functions, or once functioned, outside these particularly fraught scenes.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
9 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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It was described as a gray Ford Expedition, according to the call log.—
Emerson Clarridge,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
18 Aug. 2025
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The shots came from a gray Dodge Charger just before 7 a.m. Sheriff’s officials said a caller told dispatchers they were fired upon after yelling at the Dodge’s driver for throwing trash onto the roadway.—
Darrell Smith,
Sacbee.com,
18 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The incident comes amid fierce controversy around pro-Palestinian activism and free speech in the UK, with musicians often at the forefront.—
Max Saltman,
CNN Money,
23 Aug. 2025
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Data from the Federal Election Commission (FEC) shows Democrats ahead of Republicans in overall fundraising, with more success among House Democrats than senators, as the parties gear up for a fierce 2026 midterm election.—
Peter Aitken,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Itinerary highlights Sail out of Bergen past pastel Bryggen warehouses, then up to Geirangerfjord where waterfalls stitch silver threads down emerald cliffs.—
Jill Schildhouse,
Forbes.com,
14 Aug. 2025
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The driver of the Hyundai failed to stop at a stop sign and collided with a silver Jeep Grand Cherokee that was traveling west on Lexington.—
Robert A. Cronkleton,
Kansas City Star,
14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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With all due respect to the pressures of making an unconventional sci-fi film on a tight budget, using ecologically destructive technology for a story of ecological devastation, in which clean water is an increasingly rare resource, adds an unintentionally grim layer of irony to the tale.—
Josh Slater-Williams,
IndieWire,
11 Aug. 2025
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Marathon’s rollout has been somewhat grim, with initial flashy trailers years earlier giving way to underperforming gameplay previews and a very unfinished, public Alpha that created intensely negative vibes around the project.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
8 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The 2025 Subaru Outback is an adventure-ready SUV Subaru's SUV models like the Crosstrek, Forester, and Outback are known for their rugged exteriors and off-roading potential.—
Charles Singh,
USA Today,
20 Aug. 2025
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Fleece merges a rugged sophistication with everyday staples.—
Julia Teti,
Footwear News,
19 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Steely.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/steely. Accessed 27 Aug. 2025.
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