1
as in bereaved
suffering the death of a loved one
to one investigator, the bereft woman seemed to be taking the sudden death of her rich husband amazingly well
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in devoid
utterly lacking in something needed, wanted, or expected
a cheap motel completely bereft of all amenities
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bereft
Sony was left bereft in terms of having a summer tentpole to release because of delays related to the labor strikes, say insiders.
—
Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2025
When Iran was bereft before, finding another way forward took 15 years.
—Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 2 Sep. 2025
Some people are emotionally invested in particular versions of the AI models, leaving them feeling bereft when the AI model developers bring out new models and discontinue access to those versions.
—Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 22 Aug. 2025
The community/customers are bereft about the closing.
—Pamela McLoughlin, Hartford Courant, 7 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bereft
Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2025
When Iran was bereft before, finding another way forward took 15 years.
—Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 2 Sep. 2025
Some people are emotionally invested in particular versions of the AI models, leaving them feeling bereft when the AI model developers bring out new models and discontinue access to those versions.
—Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 22 Aug. 2025
The community/customers are bereft about the closing.
—Pamela McLoughlin, Hartford Courant, 7 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bereft
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bereft
Adjective
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The stakes just keep getting higher in this Grand Guignol of bloodthirsty excess, as bereaved government agent Soo-hyun (Lee Byung-hun) descends into shocking depravity in his pursuit of serial killer Kyung-chul (Choi Min-sik).—
Katie Rife,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 Oct. 2025
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Cohen, who lost her own son to suicide years ago, is part of an NGO that supports bereaved parents – a group that, before October 7, used to meet regularly in the same plaza.—
Kara Fox,
CNN Money,
11 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Banking has become functionally correct but emotionally devoid, with the industry swimming in a sea of sameness.—
Michael Abbott,
Forbes,
19 Mar. 2025
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That devoid ingredient hindered things exponentially.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
15 Feb. 2024
Adjective
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And every day, across from them, outside the clinic, about to enter or just leaving, there were women hugging each other and weeping.—
David Mamet,
National Review,
11 Aug. 2022
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The show manages to stay on the brink — always laughing, never quite weeping — for its entire length.—
Helen Shaw,
Vulture,
8 Dec. 2021
Adjective
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Manchester City 3-1 Bournemouth Sunderland vs Everton David Moyes has not been back on the touchline at the Stadium of Light since his unhappy spell in charge of Sunderland ended in relegation in 2017.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
31 Oct. 2025
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But if Brown is that unhappy with his status on the team, perhaps moving him would be addition by subtraction, as Florio suggested.—
Robert Marvi,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The film centers on a widowed fisherwoman, travelling alone through snowbound northern Minnesota, who interrupts the kidnapping of a teenage girl.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
6 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bereft.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bereft. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.
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