as in athletic
strongly and heavily built
a burly delivery man brought the furniture
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of burly
Home video footage of a boisterous wedding party defies the atmosphere of stasis and decay; a shot of several burly men awkwardly steering coffin down a tight stairwell plays back into it.
—
Guy Lodge, Variety, 28 Nov. 2025
Detroit cut it to one on a Stewart dunk that earned Minott, who’d unsuccessfully tried to drive through the burly Pistons big man on the previous possession, an earful from Mazzulla and a spot on the bench until the final minute.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 27 Nov. 2025
Aimed primarily at the American market, the J2 showcased bodywork that had a burly, purposeful look, with cycle-style front fenders and nothing in the way of creature comforts.
—Robert Ross, Robb Report, 26 Nov. 2025
The priest, a burly man with wary eyes, explained that he had been appointed to Sake in 2023, when the Wazalendo were entrenched there.
—Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for burly
Guy Lodge, Variety, 28 Nov. 2025
Detroit cut it to one on a Stewart dunk that earned Minott, who’d unsuccessfully tried to drive through the burly Pistons big man on the previous possession, an earful from Mazzulla and a spot on the bench until the final minute.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 27 Nov. 2025
Aimed primarily at the American market, the J2 showcased bodywork that had a burly, purposeful look, with cycle-style front fenders and nothing in the way of creature comforts.
—Robert Ross, Robb Report, 26 Nov. 2025
The priest, a burly man with wary eyes, explained that he had been appointed to Sake in 2023, when the Wazalendo were entrenched there.
—Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for burly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for burly
Adjective
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On sale in seven colorways, these relaxed, wide-leg pants have a warm cotton interior and a sleek, slightly shiny exterior that mimics retro athletic track pants.—
Amelia McBride,
Travel + Leisure,
11 Jan. 2026
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The campus brings together a museum designed to tell the story of Obama’s life and presidency, a Chicago Public Library branch, performance space, athletic center, outdoor gardens, playgrounds, and a sledding hill.—
Taryn Shorr-Mckee,
Midwest Living,
11 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Indescribable, illogical, and oh-so powerful belief.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
12 Jan. 2026
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Hellyer however noted that for now Iran’s powerful security establishment remains intact.—
Mitchell McCluskey,
CNN Money,
12 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The team can help plan reindeer and husky rides, reindeer farm visits, snowmobiles tours across the area’s fells and taiga forests, or Aurora-chasing tours, guided by local experts.—
Dobrina Zhekova,
Travel + Leisure,
29 Dec. 2025
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Something had pulled it out of the tree, breaking off the husky limb on which it was tied.—
William J. McRae,
Outdoor Life,
26 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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This beefy battery from Jackery was a splurge that has now saved my butt.—
The Editors,
Outside,
31 Dec. 2025
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This fresh take on a beefy holiday main dish could be considered the love child of a humble pot roast and a bowl of French onion soup.—
Katlyn Moncada,
Better Homes & Gardens,
27 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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This crossbody bag is the very definition of small but mighty.—
Michelle Baricevic,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Jan. 2026
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With Pete Golding calling the shots after being promoted from defensive coordinator to head coach, and most of the assistants sticking around, the Rebels blew out Tulane to open the playoff and took down mighty Georgia in the CFP quarterfinals.—
Fiifi Frimpong,
New York Daily News,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The Porsche 911 Turbo has been the brawniest rear-engine Porsche since the variant’s first model year in 1974.—
Basem Wasef,
Robb Report,
5 Jan. 2026
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The actor Nicholas Christopher—brawny, bald, with a perpetually cocked eyebrow that brings to mind Yul Brynner—strode through the aisles of Tashkent Supermarket in Brighton Beach one afternoon.—
Michael Schulman,
New Yorker,
10 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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The man attempted to intercept the hulking crook, who punched the victim in the face, cops said.—
Colin Mixson,
New York Daily News,
3 Jan. 2026
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The acrobatic and hulking George Pickens has multiple submissions for catch of the year.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
25 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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To ensure seedlings develop stout and sturdy stems, keep your grow lights on for about 14 to 16 hours per day and position the lights about 2 to 4 inches above the seed trays or seedling leaves.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
5 Jan. 2026
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This matchup will come down to how well Philadelphia’s stout defense plays against one of the better offensive units in the league.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
5 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Burly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/burly. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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