as in severely
in a manner so as to cause loss or suffering
treated the prisoners harshly, and many died
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Recent Examples of harshly
Celeste’s version of the tour is harshly minimalistic, all black-and-white strobe lights and profane on-screen text.
—
Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 24 Feb. 2026
Even though Florida isn’t known for being harshly cold, some days can still feel surprisingly chilly, and these always come in handy.
—Jacqueline Dole, Travel + Leisure, 23 Feb. 2026
During the war, Democratic voters’ approval of Israel plummeted to the single digits, according to some polls, and an array of politicians who had never before been vocal critics of Israel adopted harshly critical stances.
—Joseph Strauss, Sun Sentinel, 23 Feb. 2026
The world’s largest automaker, Toyota was harshly criticized for adopting EV technology slowly, but the Japanese giant appears to be staying the course as smaller companies retrench.
—Mark Phelan, USA Today, 20 Feb. 2026
But, after serving more than 30 years of a natural life sentence, Modrowski won back his freedom in summer 2024 when a judge ruled he had been too harshly punished and resentenced him to a 60-year term.
—Christy Gutowski, Chicago Tribune, 13 Feb. 2026
The plaintiffs allege that Black employees in the office were disciplined more harshly than their colleagues, denied accommodations and subjected to escalating retaliation after raising concerns about Johnson’s leadership.
—Chaya Tong, Austin American Statesman, 3 Feb. 2026
Mendonça was born in 1968, in the early years of a ruthless military dictatorship—a time when cinema, like much else, was harshly constrained.
—Stephania Taladrid, New Yorker, 1 Feb. 2026
The California governor was harshly critical of Senate Democrats when, during the shutdown late last year, a core bloc voted with Republicans to reopen the government without achieving any meaningful concessions in their weeks-long fight over healthcare tax breaks.
—Los Angeles Times, 29 Jan. 2026
Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 24 Feb. 2026
Even though Florida isn’t known for being harshly cold, some days can still feel surprisingly chilly, and these always come in handy.
—Jacqueline Dole, Travel + Leisure, 23 Feb. 2026
During the war, Democratic voters’ approval of Israel plummeted to the single digits, according to some polls, and an array of politicians who had never before been vocal critics of Israel adopted harshly critical stances.
—Joseph Strauss, Sun Sentinel, 23 Feb. 2026
The world’s largest automaker, Toyota was harshly criticized for adopting EV technology slowly, but the Japanese giant appears to be staying the course as smaller companies retrench.
—Mark Phelan, USA Today, 20 Feb. 2026
But, after serving more than 30 years of a natural life sentence, Modrowski won back his freedom in summer 2024 when a judge ruled he had been too harshly punished and resentenced him to a 60-year term.
—Christy Gutowski, Chicago Tribune, 13 Feb. 2026
The plaintiffs allege that Black employees in the office were disciplined more harshly than their colleagues, denied accommodations and subjected to escalating retaliation after raising concerns about Johnson’s leadership.
—Chaya Tong, Austin American Statesman, 3 Feb. 2026
Mendonça was born in 1968, in the early years of a ruthless military dictatorship—a time when cinema, like much else, was harshly constrained.
—Stephania Taladrid, New Yorker, 1 Feb. 2026
The California governor was harshly critical of Senate Democrats when, during the shutdown late last year, a core bloc voted with Republicans to reopen the government without achieving any meaningful concessions in their weeks-long fight over healthcare tax breaks.
—Los Angeles Times, 29 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harshly
Adverb
-
The Mexican Embassy in the United States said in a press release after the operation that Oseguera was one of three cartel members who died after being severely wounded.—
David Zimmermann,
The Washington Examiner,
23 Feb. 2026
-
That put significant pressure on her left side, so the teeth were severely damaged, with notable inflammation.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
23 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
The first of the four chapters is an oppressively gray-toned, narratively diffuse spy thriller, set amid the mists of what appears to be the Second World War.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
18 Dec. 2025
-
The second planet from the sun has a completely inhospitable surface, with temperatures reaching 863 degrees Fahrenheit (462 degrees Celsius) and a crushing pressure underneath an oppressively thick atmosphere.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
1 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
Last month, security forces brutally suppressed nationwide protests, killing thousands and arresting many more in the deadliest suppression of demonstrations in the history of the Islamic Republic.—
Farida Elsebai,
CNN Money,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Surveillance footage shown at the trial depicted Santos brutally beating the sleeping victims with a large metal bar over the course of half an hour.—
Molly Crane-Newman,
New York Daily News,
19 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
Elsewhere, stories of economic gloom – from galloping inflation to restaurant closures and the knock-on impact of severe tax increases – describe the many ways in which the prolonged war in Ukraine is now hitting Russians hard in the pocket at home.—
Matthew Chance,
CNN Money,
21 Feb. 2026
-
The Marshall Tucker Band rocked The Guild in Menlo Park hard for 90 minutes on Friday night, turning in a 14-song performance that was an absolute testament to both the lasting greatness of this South Carolina troupe and the power of Southern rock.—
Jim Harrington,
Mercury News,
21 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Harshly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harshly. Accessed 27 Feb. 2026.
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