as in confronted
to oppose (something hostile or dangerous) with firmness or courage
a man of integrity who was never afraid to beard the lion in his den
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of bearded
Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Feb. 2026
Michelangelo, however, pushes beyond simple illustration to include pagan myths as well as to challenge traditional depiction of a calm, bearded judge.
—Virginia Raguin, The Conversation, 19 Feb. 2026
In the previously unseen black-and-white image, photographed outside, a bearded Will, 43, and Kate, 44, smile broadly and wear matching neutral sweaters layered over button-front shirts.
—Kim Willis, USA Today, 15 Feb. 2026
Alice’s former friend and cousin, Kurt (Chamberlain), a bearded symbol of what might still be for Alice minus Edgar, but who ends up being little more than a pawn in their toxic, psychological games.
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 8 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bearded
Adjective
Watch Cannavale discuss the bearded dragon in the clip above.
—Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Feb. 2026
Michelangelo, however, pushes beyond simple illustration to include pagan myths as well as to challenge traditional depiction of a calm, bearded judge.
—Virginia Raguin, The Conversation, 19 Feb. 2026
In the previously unseen black-and-white image, photographed outside, a bearded Will, 43, and Kate, 44, smile broadly and wear matching neutral sweaters layered over button-front shirts.
—Kim Willis, USA Today, 15 Feb. 2026
Alice’s former friend and cousin, Kurt (Chamberlain), a bearded symbol of what might still be for Alice minus Edgar, but who ends up being little more than a pawn in their toxic, psychological games.
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 8 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bearded
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bearded
Adjective
-
Charlie laughs, but there is something like embarrassment, or unease, on his middle-aged, mustachioed face.—
Alexander Nazaryan,
New Yorker,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Golden light reflects off Murano chandeliers above the exquisite marble bar where mustachioed mixologists craft impeccable Sazeracs and Penicillins.—
Jessica Chapel,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Trump confronted South African President Cyril Ramaphosa with those claims at a White House meeting last year that underlined the strained relationship.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Trump confronted South African President Cyril Ramaphosa with those claims at a dramatic White House meeting last year that underlined the strained relationship.—
Michelle Gumede,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Open the door to the Chamber, and you're faced with a sink, a vanity, two wardrobes, and two frosted-glass doors, behind which are a shower and a toilet.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 Mar. 2026
-
The project was revived in 1964 by President Lyndon Johnson but faced strong opposition from environmentalists, including Marjorie Harris Carr, the barge canal’s most vocal critic.—
Patrick Connolly,
The Orlando Sentinel,
7 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Cowley conceived of the American tradition, dating back to the eighteenth century, as analogous to, say, that of the French: a comprehensible sequence of geographic and aesthetic developments, not the mere littering of hirsute eccentrics that it was typically taken to be.—
Vince Passaro,
Harpers Magazine,
30 Dec. 2025
-
By documenting lushly hirsute Japanese officials alongside their beardless counterparts, portraiture preserved a photographic record of colonial subjects’ visibly inferior status.—
H.M.A. Leow,
JSTOR Daily,
13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The look was completed with a side part and shaggy bangs.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Velasquez says that shaggy layers are a great way to give natural curls movement and life.—
Audrey Noble,
InStyle,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The videos showed Chicago kissing and hugging a sable-furred puppy in the family's living room while Psalm shuffled around on his hands and knees trying to chase one of the dark-haired dogs around the room.—
Desiree Anello,
PEOPLE,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Her current companions are a pair of dark-furred rescues named Bear and Pharrah.—
Julian Sancton,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Poison hemlock, unlike Queen Anne’s Lace, has a smooth, not hairy stem.—
Carl R. Gold,
Baltimore Sun,
7 Mar. 2026
-
To help keep their moisture levels in check and protect themselves from wind, desert plants often have spiny, waxy, or hairy leaves.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bearded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bearded. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
