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
In one corner stood a spartan single bed, in the other a small woodstove.
—
Michael Pollan, The Atlantic, 26 Jan. 2026
Frank unpacks with military precision and quickly makes the spartan space his own; neat but unfussy.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 25 Jan. 2026
On Thursday mornings, my high school’s upper grades gathered in our meetinghouse—a spartan, Italianate-style building whose wooden benches bore the etchings of a century and a half of antsy pencils and fingernails—and, for an hour, sat in near-total silence.
—Walden Green, Pitchfork, 22 Jan. 2026
Better is Danny Elfman’s spartan and fraught score, particularly the dyspeptic drums.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2026
Gottlieb believes the spartan ethos of improv made a big mark on his former housemate.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 18 Dec. 2025
Unlike those relatively spartan facilities, however, the Astrodome had cushioned seats for all patrons, instead of hard ones.
—John Seabrook, New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2025
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
Michael Pollan, The Atlantic, 26 Jan. 2026
Frank unpacks with military precision and quickly makes the spartan space his own; neat but unfussy.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 25 Jan. 2026
On Thursday mornings, my high school’s upper grades gathered in our meetinghouse—a spartan, Italianate-style building whose wooden benches bore the etchings of a century and a half of antsy pencils and fingernails—and, for an hour, sat in near-total silence.
—Walden Green, Pitchfork, 22 Jan. 2026
Better is Danny Elfman’s spartan and fraught score, particularly the dyspeptic drums.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2026
Gottlieb believes the spartan ethos of improv made a big mark on his former housemate.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 18 Dec. 2025
Unlike those relatively spartan facilities, however, the Astrodome had cushioned seats for all patrons, instead of hard ones.
—John Seabrook, New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spartan
Adjective
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At a time when many classify Tesla’s austere and featureless interiors as luxurious, Volvo is trying to inject a different perspective into the market—one that relies not merely on leather, but also intricate textiles central to its Scandinavian heritage, including wool.—
Adam Ismail,
The Drive,
29 Jan. 2026
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Kyiv has repeatedly updated its austere winter power-saving schedule, dimming or cutting streetlights in low-traffic areas and investing in less centralized power generation.—
Derek Gatopoulos,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
In such a world, simple answers won’t do; only the courage to ask the hardest questions will push us forward.—
Daphne Koller,
Big Think,
29 Jan. 2026
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Knox, who committed to wrestle at Rutgers University, and his dad were initially charged with simple assault for purposely/knowingly causing bodily injury after a brawl broke out at Collingswood High School on February.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Dyche is known for robust, no-frills teams that can cause the odd upset but usually reach a ceiling of mid-table stability.—
Zak Garner-Purkis,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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The change represents a significant shift for Southwest’s brand, which has been known as a no-frills, easygoing option compared to competing airlines.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Despite an extraordinary global safety record, the derailment on a straight stretch of track was a stark reminder of how exceptional, and how fragile, these systems can be.—
Ben Jones,
CNN Money,
26 Jan. 2026
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The difference is even more stark when looking at the annual limits; nursing graduate students would be eligible for just $20,500 per year compared to the $50,000 annual limit for professional degrees.—
Christopher O’Connor,
Hartford Courant,
26 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spartan.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spartan. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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