as in austere
providing only the essentials and nothing fancy or luxurious
accommodations on the windjammer are spartan but clean and comfortable nevertheless
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Recent Examples of spartan
Was Kenzaburo Oe, for example, subjected to the same spartan toilet seat?
—
Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 10 June 2026
My take → For a $16 billion company, PR has a shockingly spartan website.
—Brian Sullivan, CNBC, 3 June 2026
The service, though less than efficient, is delivered with unfailing Midwestern goodwill; rooms are spartan but have pampering touches such as heated bathroom floors and beds as soft as ermine.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026
Six weeks later, most of the American passengers who were aboard the MV Hondius are now in small, spartan rooms with a bed and an exercise bike at the National Quarantine Unit in Omaha, Nebraska, facing potential weeks of isolation.
—Lex Harvey, CNN Money, 12 May 2026
Plot details are under wraps but according to the spartan official synopsis, the psychological thriller unfolds in a seemingly idyllic and takes audiences on a vertiginous dive into the shifting limits of a sound mind, as grief and obsession take hold.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 1 Apr. 2026
His solution is to hide technology behind spartan interfaces.
—Diana Budds, Architectural Digest, 3 Mar. 2026
The operatives, mostly men and women in their late twenties, sat in a circle in the spartan safe house with a single, small light and no furniture.
—Jason Burke, Time, 27 Feb. 2026
Osteria Historically speaking, an osteria was a spartan, no-frills establishment where people would go to have a drink.
—Laura Itzkowitz, Travel + Leisure, 27 Feb. 2026
Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 10 June 2026
My take → For a $16 billion company, PR has a shockingly spartan website.
—Brian Sullivan, CNBC, 3 June 2026
The service, though less than efficient, is delivered with unfailing Midwestern goodwill; rooms are spartan but have pampering touches such as heated bathroom floors and beds as soft as ermine.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026
Six weeks later, most of the American passengers who were aboard the MV Hondius are now in small, spartan rooms with a bed and an exercise bike at the National Quarantine Unit in Omaha, Nebraska, facing potential weeks of isolation.
—Lex Harvey, CNN Money, 12 May 2026
Plot details are under wraps but according to the spartan official synopsis, the psychological thriller unfolds in a seemingly idyllic and takes audiences on a vertiginous dive into the shifting limits of a sound mind, as grief and obsession take hold.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 1 Apr. 2026
His solution is to hide technology behind spartan interfaces.
—Diana Budds, Architectural Digest, 3 Mar. 2026
The operatives, mostly men and women in their late twenties, sat in a circle in the spartan safe house with a single, small light and no furniture.
—Jason Burke, Time, 27 Feb. 2026
Osteria Historically speaking, an osteria was a spartan, no-frills establishment where people would go to have a drink.
—Laura Itzkowitz, Travel + Leisure, 27 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spartan
Adjective
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Built for austere operations The aircraft combines Mach Industries’ platform development capabilities with Whisper Aero’s JetFoil propulsion technology.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
18 June 2026
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Her voice, her arrangements, and her performances are sophisticated and beautiful, even austere.—
Sam Sodomsky,
Pitchfork,
16 June 2026
Adjective
-
Armando Chavez, owner of local business NorCal Siders, was brought in for a simple roof patch-up but left with a big idea.—
Kayla Moeller,
CBS News,
18 June 2026
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The cause can be something as simple as a lack of water or more complex, like fungal wilt diseases, tomato wilt viruses, walnut toxicity, or boring insects.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
The Spruce,
17 June 2026
Adjective
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The JLab Go Air Pro are your no-drama, no-frills earbuds, which give you great sound without emptying your wallet.—
Juhi Wadia,
PC Magazine,
17 June 2026
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What really sets Salida apart is the town’s easygoing, no-frills atmosphere.—
Lydia Mansel,
Travel + Leisure,
16 June 2026
Adjective
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The political context couldn’t be starker – for the first time in World Cup history, a host nation is at war with one of its participants.—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
15 June 2026
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This stark discrepancy—akin to selling a Hermès bag at a 60 percent discount in one location while attempting to sell it at full price at a nearby store—has exacerbated mistrust in the art system’s attribution of prices and value.—
Devorah Lauter,
ARTnews.com,
15 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spartan.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spartan. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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