1
as in strict
given to exacting standards of discipline and self-restraint
a flinty warrior hardened by years of battle
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in gruff
harsh and threatening in manner or appearance
wrestling opponents intimidating each other with flinty stares
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of flinty
Eva is a complex character, flinty and businesslike, deadly serious about her mission and willing to make ethical compromises to move it forward.
—
David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 10 Mar. 2026
Season 1 detailed how Robby—a crinkle-eyed stalwart whose stethoscope seems made of thorns—was still suffering from PTSD from his experiences working during the coronavirus pandemic, while a violent attack from a patient made the otherwise flinty Dana reconsider whether her job was still bearable.
—Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 10 Jan. 2026
Yet Seamus Heaney and Ted Hughes, among others, insisted that Brown, whose archaic-modern style telescopes entire epochs into a few flinty lines, belongs among the major twentieth-century bards.
—Alex Ross, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025
Maria is a wonderfully textured character, at turns flinty and cold and vivacious and funny, and Maura is adept at embodying all sides to this woman.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 13 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flinty
David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 10 Mar. 2026
Season 1 detailed how Robby—a crinkle-eyed stalwart whose stethoscope seems made of thorns—was still suffering from PTSD from his experiences working during the coronavirus pandemic, while a violent attack from a patient made the otherwise flinty Dana reconsider whether her job was still bearable.
—Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 10 Jan. 2026
Yet Seamus Heaney and Ted Hughes, among others, insisted that Brown, whose archaic-modern style telescopes entire epochs into a few flinty lines, belongs among the major twentieth-century bards.
—Alex Ross, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025
Maria is a wonderfully textured character, at turns flinty and cold and vivacious and funny, and Maura is adept at embodying all sides to this woman.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 13 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flinty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flinty
Adjective
-
The latest outbreak, driven by the rare Bundibugyo strain, has infected at least 515 people and killed 91, prompting strict limits on public gatherings and enforced social distancing.—
Justin Kabumba,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2026
-
Before the Gov Ball sound engineers cut his mic out of respect for the park’s strict curfew and noise ordinance, Pretty Flacko had to take time out to reminisce about his own breakout.—
Rob Kenner,
VIBE.com,
8 June 2026
Adjective
-
Platner, a gruff 41-year-old Marine Corps veteran, is trying to unseat Republican Senator Susan Collins with a platform of economic populism, universal health care, labor protections, and anti-interventionism.—
Elizabeth Bruenig,
The Atlantic,
4 June 2026
-
With his gruff voice, beard and sweatshirts-instead-of-suits, Platner cuts the figure of a blue-collar Mainer.—
Caroline McCaughey,
Boston Herald,
4 June 2026
Adjective
-
With the when, where and who will play whom at the 2026 World Cup all locked in, how do the groups rank from the easiest to the toughest?—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
12 June 2026
-
Opening a restaurant in downtown Boise is a tough racket.—
Michael Deeds,
Idaho Statesman,
11 June 2026
Adjective
-
Firth is chilling, pushing his stern, fiercely intelligent demeanor in increasingly sinister directions and bringing nuance and gravity to the lengths Scanlon will go to fulfill his mandate, whatever the cost.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
9 June 2026
-
These adults are headed by Kevin Earley, who early on makes for a starchy rather than stern Captain.—
Christopher Smith,
Oc Register,
4 June 2026
Adjective
-
Ikutiminu, who will attend UC Irvine in the fall, even spoke with musicians about how to create a sound that would be less harsh than the vuvuzela.—
Kenny Choi,
CBS News,
12 June 2026
-
Without toxic acids Tripathi’s breakthrough eliminates the harsh chemicals.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
11 June 2026
Adjective
-
What all present did expect was a fierce contest.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 June 2026
-
Bagnulo noted that the competition will be fierce.—
Andrew McNicol,
CNN Money,
7 June 2026
Adjective
-
Regardless of why Americans express neutrality, those who do so are just as likely to vote for authoritarian politicians as the relatively small number of Americans (less than 1 in 5) who explicitly support undemocratic practices.—
Matthew E.K. Hall,
Chicago Tribune,
6 June 2026
-
Safety regulations – intended to constrain corporate power – in authoritarian regimes become tools to coerce compliance.—
Michael Gregory,
The Conversation,
4 June 2026
Adjective
-
The two of them sit watching the four of us with grim fascination, as if at a public hearing.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
-
In the early days of the Iran war, analysts held the grim prediction that crude oil prices would top $200 a barrel, nearly triple pre-war prices.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
10 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Flinty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flinty. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
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