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
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For workers who are tired of their jobs following them home every night, and for businesses that are tired of the burnout, the turnover, and the chaos that comes from not having boundaries, Zenzap is the work chat app that changes everything.—
Jason Phillips,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
-
One still gets tired of the Wednesday rice and fish dish.—
Jeremy O. Harris,
Vanity Fair,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Nor is this some vague or emotional objection.—
Kelsey Maurine Brickl,
The Orlando Sentinel,
4 Apr. 2026
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With such a sheer volume of work coming out, the anime market can get crowded, and its easy for these works to bleed together into a vague blob of gag comedies, action-adventure shows, and sickly-sweet romances.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Taylor was discharged after four days, weak and exhausted but out of the woods.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
3 Apr. 2026
-
What is exhausted is repetition without thought.—
Manuela Moscoso,
Artforum,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
While attempting to catch them, officers heard a faint sound coming from a drainage pipe beneath them.—
Samantha Agate,
Miami Herald,
6 Apr. 2026
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To find them, scientists developed advanced computational methods that sift through massive datasets, using algorithms to scan millions of faint light sources and test billions of possible motion paths to pinpoint the slow, subtle movements of these distant worlds.—
Samantha Mathewson,
Space.com,
5 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
With the national average for a gallon of regular gasoline topping a multiyear high of $4 a gallon, according to AAA, inflation-weary commuters are having a tough time absorbing the energy shock.—
Jessica Guynn,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
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Nike’s recovery was already coming at a tough time as a global trade war dented its efforts to improve profitability and drive sales from inflation-weary shoppers.—
Gabrielle Fonrouge,Jessica Golden,Jacob Pramuk,
CNBC,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
In a break from decades of tradition, the band walked onto the stage in total darkness, visible to the crowd only in hazy silhouette.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
1 Apr. 2026
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Once you're set up, use your phone to scan the skies for faint hazy glows.—
Daisy Dobrijevic,
Space.com,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bleary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bleary. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
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