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
The overall aesthetic was slightly ascetic without being spartan—a pale, neutral color palette; simple, modern furniture; a few pieces of abstract art.
—
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Apr. 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 learning center used to be a hostel, its spartan facilities a challenge, a lawyer mom told Lilian, for the stay-at-home mothers who would otherwise have been perfect candidates for the task of chaperoning.
—Yiyun Li, New Yorker, 1 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
While many sports cars are spartan in their functional aesthetic, including the Mercedes-AMG GT, which shares engine architecture with Aston Martin, the Vantage S feels different due to its elegant lines and abjectly opulent interior.
—Basem Wasef, Robb Report, 25 Feb. 2026
Freed from any sort of period accuracy, Davies tried to start the house in a spartan, memory-like state, as Cathy and Heathcliff would remember it from childhood.
—Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 18 Feb. 2026
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Apr. 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 learning center used to be a hostel, its spartan facilities a challenge, a lawyer mom told Lilian, for the stay-at-home mothers who would otherwise have been perfect candidates for the task of chaperoning.
—Yiyun Li, New Yorker, 1 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
While many sports cars are spartan in their functional aesthetic, including the Mercedes-AMG GT, which shares engine architecture with Aston Martin, the Vantage S feels different due to its elegant lines and abjectly opulent interior.
—Basem Wasef, Robb Report, 25 Feb. 2026
Freed from any sort of period accuracy, Davies tried to start the house in a spartan, memory-like state, as Cathy and Heathcliff would remember it from childhood.
—Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 18 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spartan
Adjective
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The land outside is similarly undeveloped, continuing inland to Sartène, with its medieval warren of streets and austere granite houses on a rocky outcrop, or east along the coast to Bonifacio, a former Genoese stronghold with a deep, narrow harbor cutting through towering chalk cliffs.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Hungary’s incoming premier today showed investors how austere he is compared to his forerunner.—
Jonathan Tirone,
Bloomberg,
16 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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July 23 – August 22 Clarity today comes from keeping your message simple and grounded.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
30 Apr. 2026
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Brown said Atlanta was taking away the Knicks’ spray game, which made the answer simpler.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Nicholas Fox, a former Virgin Group communications executive who worked across Virgin’s airline and train businesses who now is a Senior Managing Director at Sloane PR, says Spirit lost something along the way that originally made no-frills flying work.—
Catherina Gioino,
Fortune,
23 Apr. 2026
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The Whoop is a no-frills wristband built for function over fashion, while the Oura is a sleek, jewelry-like smart ring that sits on your finger.—
Andrew Gebhart,
PC Magazine,
22 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The ruling also stands in stark contrast to the decision earlier this month by a different 7th Circuit panel, which abruptly reversed the May 2023 convictions of former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore and lobbyist Michael McClain, who were accused of orchestrating the plot to bribe the speaker.—
Jason Meisner,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
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His words are a stark contrast to the young, adventure-loving Crown Point native who moved to Japan in 2013 after teaching himself Japanese as a teenager.—
Megan De Mar,
CBS News,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spartan.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spartan. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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