1
as in darkly
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
2
as in somberly
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
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 bleakly
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
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
-
The darkly comedic drama confronts reality, privacy, and the delusions fueling our ever-changing world.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
3 June 2026
-
Filmed for roughly $750,000, the darkly funny horror film has made almost $150 million to date, a jaw-dropping return on investment for Focus Features and Blumhouse Productions.—
Brian Stelter,
CNN Money,
31 May 2026
Adverb
-
The race there begins somberly in the museum before runners bound up one flight of stairs into a hallway that leads into the main stairwell; from there, the steps settle into continuous, shallow right turns providing a repetitive, hypnotic cadence.—
Michelle Sinclair Colman,
Curbed,
7 May 2026
-
The music came back on, and the men danced somberly to wedding music.—
Aidan McLaughlin,
Vanity Fair,
26 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
The Nationals picked the 25-year-old up off the scrap heap after spring training and now Mead is quietly in the middle of a breakout year.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
31 May 2026
-
Just days earlier, another event quietly illustrated the same shift from trade toward deeper integration.—
Li Jun,
Footwear News,
31 May 2026
Adverb
-
San Antonio relied heavily on the three-point shot, but with little success.—
Alejandro Avila,
FOXNews.com,
4 June 2026
-
The billionaire former hedge fund owner campaigned against the corporate and special interests that have a powerful presence in Sacramento and often spend heavily in elections, including this year against Steyer.—
Seema Mehta,
Los Angeles Times,
3 June 2026
Adverb
-
Nearly all are unhappily married by the end of the novel.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 May 2026
-
Elizabeth Banks is Lindy Littlejohn, a seriously frustrated writer, unhappily if tumultuously married to Les (Matthew Macfadyen), a brilliant scientist.—
Stephen Schaefer,
Boston Herald,
9 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
Otherwise, every one of the top draft picks Elias took from 2019-2022 – third baseman Gunnar Henderson, outfielder Colton Cowser, infielder Jackson Holliday, outfielder Heston Kjerstad and second baseman Jordan Westburg — has either underachieved or failed miserably.—
Bill Madden,
New York Daily News,
23 May 2026
-
One was to pressure Iran to fully open the strait and free 1,600 commercial ships stuck in the Persian Gulf, which failed miserably.—
The Week US,
TheWeek,
11 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bleakly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bleakly. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
