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
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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
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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 once-red-hot Florida housing market has experienced one of the starkest corrections in the country since the pandemic, as an explosion in construction over the past couple of years has contributed to the recent growth in inventory, which is putting downward pressure on prices.
—
Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
Celebrating the Luar spring 2026 ready-to-wear presentation during New York Fashion Week, the 27-year-old television star and model arrived to the show venue downtown on Monday night with stark white eyebrows.
—Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 16 Sep. 2025
Ahead of the winter season, New England’s grid operator already issued a stark warning about delaying the project.
—Ella Nilsen, CNN Money, 16 Sep. 2025
For the past three years, Fulmer has been completely absent from the public eye, a stark change for the digital creator known for filming and posting almost every aspect of his life.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stark
Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
Celebrating the Luar spring 2026 ready-to-wear presentation during New York Fashion Week, the 27-year-old television star and model arrived to the show venue downtown on Monday night with stark white eyebrows.
—Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 16 Sep. 2025
Ahead of the winter season, New England’s grid operator already issued a stark warning about delaying the project.
—Ella Nilsen, CNN Money, 16 Sep. 2025
For the past three years, Fulmer has been completely absent from the public eye, a stark change for the digital creator known for filming and posting almost every aspect of his life.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stark
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stark
Adjective
-
The facial expressions match the show’s grim color palette.—
Will Collins,
The Washington Examiner,
19 Sep. 2025
-
Now they are being called on by their leader to adapt to a grim reality of military might.—
Ruth Margalit,
New Yorker,
18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The strapless corset gown had a sheer illusion jacket embellished with pearls, and was paired with a cathedral veil.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
PEOPLE,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Clad in a chain-mail dress with sheer stripes and waist-length hair, Wilson's appearance during the Chris Habana show was greeted with raucous applause.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
16 Sep. 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
-
The lock screen on the Mac remains a desolate place, relative to the same area in both iOS and iPadOS—this is still a no-notifications, no-widgets zone that exists only to keep your Mac locked.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
15 Sep. 2025
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While the rest of Burning Man celebrated, Kruglov lay prostrate on the ground at a faraway campsite in a comparatively desolate section of Black Rock City, his throat slashed, as a puddle of blood congealed around his lifeless body.—
Denver Nicks,
Rolling Stone,
14 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The Long Walk uses the rawness of its spartan premise to venture deep into uncomfortable territory, culminating in an ending that blurs the lines between perseverance and defeat, hope and nihilism.—
James Grebey,
Time,
12 Sep. 2025
-
But this new 86-footer, stripped of its predecessors’ bling, is more of a spartan, minimalist explorer, with transatlantic potential.—
Tristan Rutherford,
Robb Report,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
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
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The barbs were frequently aimed at the gruff owner of Mel’s Diner played by the late Vic Tayback.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Mahle views its range-extenders as far more than simple independent add-on, looking at them as one component in a holistic driving architecture in which smaller batteries can replace larger ones while still alleviating, rather than intensifying, range anxiety.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Sep. 2025
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For a similarly simple, comfortable option that’s a little more sophisticated, try a stylish ivory sweater (yes, white after Labor Day is definitely acceptable in France), particularly in a rollneck fashion that will suit silhouettes of all types.—
Lane Nieset,
Travel + Leisure,
20 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
But the White House should not settle for empty promises and construction photo-ops.—
Joel Thayer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Jîna’s parents, Mojgan Eftekhari and Amjad Amini, sat beside her empty grave.—
Fatemeh Jamalpour,
Literary Hub,
15 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stark.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stark. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
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