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
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Recent Examples of bearded
Vivian Salama, The Atlantic, 11 Jan. 2026
He got pulled over for speeding in northwestern Ohio, but the deputy let the white-bearded driver off with a warning and sent him on his merry way.
—Daniel Wine, CNN Money, 30 Dec. 2025
Kim and her children have posted photos of their pet lizards over the years, including a bearded dragon named Speed.
—Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 29 Dec. 2025
The other, a raggedy, bearded civilian from his country’s military reserve, is less enthused, and often strips off his service greens and his Ottoman-style fez to smoke cigarettes and lounge in the sun.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 29 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bearded
Adjective
But as the game wore on, spectators realized that Castro had disguised some young professional players as bearded, older men to play cleanup in the final innings.
—Vivian Salama, The Atlantic, 11 Jan. 2026
He got pulled over for speeding in northwestern Ohio, but the deputy let the white-bearded driver off with a warning and sent him on his merry way.
—Daniel Wine, CNN Money, 30 Dec. 2025
Kim and her children have posted photos of their pet lizards over the years, including a bearded dragon named Speed.
—Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 29 Dec. 2025
The other, a raggedy, bearded civilian from his country’s military reserve, is less enthused, and often strips off his service greens and his Ottoman-style fez to smoke cigarettes and lounge in the sun.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 29 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bearded
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bearded
Adjective
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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
-
When confronted by police, none of the women were aware of what had happened to them or that the actions could be considered criminal.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
18 Feb. 2026
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Homicide detectives say Elijah was at the center with friends when a group of suspects confronted and then shot at them.—
Dante Motley,
Austin American Statesman,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In the weeks since, NYC and the surrounding areas have faced frigid temperatures, which has allowed for the white stuff to linger.—
Jessica Schladebeck,
New York Daily News,
21 Feb. 2026
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Brazil, which faced duties as high as 50%, along with Canada, China, India, Indonesia, Mexico and South Africa, would face lower rates, noted Joe Brusuelas, chief economist at RSM US.—
Auzinea Bacon,
CNN Money,
21 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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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
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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
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Other highlights from the week included the Tory Burch show, where Pamela Anderson sported a shaggy blonde bob and joined stars from Marcello Hernandez and Amanda Seyfried to Tessa Thompson and Myha'la.—
Brendan Morrow,
USA Today,
17 Feb. 2026
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Showing off a pair of shaggy front bangs, Klum finished off her monochromatic look with skintight latex leggings and a pair of sky-high scarlet stilettos.—
Lara Walsh,
InStyle,
17 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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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
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Her current companions are a pair of dark-furred rescues named Bear and Pharrah.—
Julian Sancton,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Played by more than ten babies at various ages, young Kuula is an unusual child, hairy and large for his age, with an early appetite for meat and a curiously harsh quality to his bawling.—
Catherine Bray,
Variety,
14 Feb. 2026
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Looking ahead, the work to safeguard northern hairy-nosed wombats is far from finished.—
Hanna Wickes,
Miami Herald,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bearded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bearded. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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