1
as in darkly
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2
as in somberly
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bleakly
This bleakly entertaining crime thriller, adapted from Cormac McCarthy's novel of the same name, is an essential Coen brothers text.
—
Eric Farwell,
Entertainment Weekly,
12 June 2026
Robinson is warmly theological where Ishiguro is bleakly philosophical, lyrically expansive where Ishiguro is almost blandly lucid.
—
James Wood,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
In one panel, children maimed or exhausted by labor stare out bleakly; in another, unemployed men in a small industrial town sit or stand around.
—
Judith Shulevitz,
The Atlantic,
9 Apr. 2026
On the sixth day of the new year, normally a bleakly depressing time for corporate employees, Enhypen had a treat in store for their fans.
—
Irene Kim,
Vogue,
16 Jan. 2026
Pulling all the threads together, Donald Tusk, Poland’s prime minister and a key international ally of Ukraine, saw things bleakly.
—
Andrew Carey,
CNN Money,
29 Nov. 2025
Where other projects have found success discussing the same notions bleakly, Etzler trusts his sardonic approach will tempt audiences to let their guards down and allow the subject matter to resonate, perhaps looking inward at their own complicity in the process.
—
Holly Jones,
Variety,
26 Sep. 2025
Eric Farwell,
Entertainment Weekly,
12 June 2026
Robinson is warmly theological where Ishiguro is bleakly philosophical, lyrically expansive where Ishiguro is almost blandly lucid.
—
James Wood,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
In one panel, children maimed or exhausted by labor stare out bleakly; in another, unemployed men in a small industrial town sit or stand around.
—
Judith Shulevitz,
The Atlantic,
9 Apr. 2026
On the sixth day of the new year, normally a bleakly depressing time for corporate employees, Enhypen had a treat in store for their fans.
—
Irene Kim,
Vogue,
16 Jan. 2026
Pulling all the threads together, Donald Tusk, Poland’s prime minister and a key international ally of Ukraine, saw things bleakly.
—
Andrew Carey,
CNN Money,
29 Nov. 2025
Where other projects have found success discussing the same notions bleakly, Etzler trusts his sardonic approach will tempt audiences to let their guards down and allow the subject matter to resonate, perhaps looking inward at their own complicity in the process.
—
Holly Jones,
Variety,
26 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bleakly
Adverb
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Makeup highlights for the actress continued the punk edge, with bold brows, darkly lined eyes and a neutral, glossy lip by artist Tyron Machhausen.
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Netflix also has a pair of strong four-hour adaptations in the harrowing Lord of the Flies and the darkly comic political tragedy of Death by Lightning.
Adverb
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Nantz somberly delivered the emotional news while taking several breaks to compose himself.
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The season's penultimate scene finds Carl at his favorite haunt, sipping his morning coffee while somberly staring at his tiny Tom Ruffage diorama figure.
Adverb
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Lander, Valdez and Avila Chevalier will all coast to victory in November in the heavily-Democratic districts.
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The winners of the four primaries are seen as all but locks to win the general election in November, given their heavily Democratic voter populations.
Adverb
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Many progressive priests and community members reject these exclusionary rules and quietly defy them.
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Rather than chase the President, Cao is quietly establishing himself throughout government, reaching out to key budget stakeholders.
Adverb
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Nearly all are unhappily married by the end of the novel.
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Elizabeth Banks is Lindy Littlejohn, a seriously frustrated writer, unhappily if tumultuously married to Les (Matthew Macfadyen), a brilliant scientist.
Adverb
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The second involves a woman who had inherited her father's company and was running it competently, dutifully — and miserably.
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The 2025 season ended miserably on all fronts for Johnson.
Cite this Entry
“Bleakly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bleakly. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
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