1
as in tired
depleted in strength, energy, or freshness
disoriented, bleary passengers departing from the red-eye
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in vague
not seen or understood clearly
the bleary outline of a fishing boat could just be seen through the fog
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bleary
These are essentially gothic works, in which bleary, nocturnal isolation opens a door to bizarre impulses and uncanny transformations.
—
Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 8 Oct. 2025
If earlier iterations of the lesbian vampire film were Gothic and ornate, Nadja is more shoegaze, captured on bleary black-and-white videotape with an expressionistic flair.
—Samantha Allen, Them., 7 Oct. 2025
Watch enough football and every commercial break becomes an exercise in bleary déjà vu, as the spots that bowed in the first quarter begin repeating on you like so many lager burps.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 12 Sep. 2025
Eternity mines its compelling conceit for both peppery comedy and bleary sentiment.
—Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bleary
Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 8 Oct. 2025
If earlier iterations of the lesbian vampire film were Gothic and ornate, Nadja is more shoegaze, captured on bleary black-and-white videotape with an expressionistic flair.
—Samantha Allen, Them., 7 Oct. 2025
Watch enough football and every commercial break becomes an exercise in bleary déjà vu, as the spots that bowed in the first quarter begin repeating on you like so many lager burps.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 12 Sep. 2025
Eternity mines its compelling conceit for both peppery comedy and bleary sentiment.
—Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bleary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bleary
Adjective
-
The fanbase was just as tired of all the turnover, if not more so.—
Evan Drellich,
New York Times,
12 Mar. 2026
-
The Wildcats looked fresh and feisty from the moment the ball was tipped, perhaps taking advantage of UCF's tired legs following its second-round overtime win over Cincinnati, and roaring to a 35-8 lead over the first 13 minutes of the game.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The title Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen is pretty vague, and the new trailer doesn’t clear much up.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
14 Mar. 2026
-
This implies regime change, yet the administration’s ambitions have in fact been vague and inconsistent.—
Dennis Ross,
The Atlantic,
13 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
By the end of it all, Levy was elated for the international sensation the sitcom became, and also terribly exhausted.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
12 Mar. 2026
-
During the pandemic, turnover rates temporarily dipped lower, then increased as high as 32%, as exhausted staff left the teaching profession.—
Keri Heath,
Austin American Statesman,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Grab your telescope and look out for a line of faint stars extending diagonally from Gienag above Algorab, which will lead you directly to the patch of sky containing M104!—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
14 Mar. 2026
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Normally, such events are invisible to telescopes, producing only faint ripples in spacetime.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
In the United States, the actor played secondary roles, usually weary, nervy authority figures, such as the stern mentor (Good Will Hunting) and the persnickety scientist (Deep Blue Sea).—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
13 Mar. 2026
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Wolf packs on the hunt encircled their prey—typically elk—clamping at the jugular when their target grew weary from the chase.—
Nidhi Sharma,
Popular Science,
12 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
When the plumes reached Western Europe, residents reported hazy skies in southern England and the Swiss and Italian Alps.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
12 Mar. 2026
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Cut yourself some slack at work today because there is a Moon Alert all day, which makes things hazy and indecisive.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bleary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bleary. Accessed 18 Mar. 2026.
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