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
In the 42nd minute, having cut inside Niang, Leysen lunged wildly to try and prevent Elanga recovering the ball, but got nowhere near it and conceded a penalty (he was harshly adjudged to have handballed it during the second half for another spot kick, too).
—
Chris Waugh, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
He was immediately called out by a member of the Directing Staff, who addressed him harshly by his team number.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 26 Sep. 2025
Parents may drink an extra glass of wine, avoid a tough conversation, or judge themselves harshly when they’re stressed.
—Juli Fraga, Time, 23 Sep. 2025
Yet, boards scrutinize their decisions more harshly, and media coverage frames their departures more negatively.
—Essence, 23 Sep. 2025
Paes spoke passionately about the urgent need for resources in the harshly remote settings seen in the film — settings that help to foment these cycles of abuse.
—Stacey Wilson Hunt, HollywoodReporter, 14 Sep. 2025
Hilleary, at the campaign event, also harshly criticized Biden’s immigration policies and his administration’s approach to the COVID-19 pandemic.
—David Mark, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
Always use gentle, soft tools like an old toothbrush to scrub away grime in tough corners or nooks, but avoid scrubbing harshly.
—Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 6 Sep. 2025
There are some two million Arab citizens of Israel, some of whom could be radicalized if Israel continues to frustrate Palestinian political ambitions and treat Palestinians so harshly.
—Richard Haass, Foreign Affairs, 3 Sep. 2025
Chris Waugh, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
He was immediately called out by a member of the Directing Staff, who addressed him harshly by his team number.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 26 Sep. 2025
Parents may drink an extra glass of wine, avoid a tough conversation, or judge themselves harshly when they’re stressed.
—Juli Fraga, Time, 23 Sep. 2025
Yet, boards scrutinize their decisions more harshly, and media coverage frames their departures more negatively.
—Essence, 23 Sep. 2025
Paes spoke passionately about the urgent need for resources in the harshly remote settings seen in the film — settings that help to foment these cycles of abuse.
—Stacey Wilson Hunt, HollywoodReporter, 14 Sep. 2025
Hilleary, at the campaign event, also harshly criticized Biden’s immigration policies and his administration’s approach to the COVID-19 pandemic.
—David Mark, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
Always use gentle, soft tools like an old toothbrush to scrub away grime in tough corners or nooks, but avoid scrubbing harshly.
—Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 6 Sep. 2025
There are some two million Arab citizens of Israel, some of whom could be radicalized if Israel continues to frustrate Palestinian political ambitions and treat Palestinians so harshly.
—Richard Haass, Foreign Affairs, 3 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harshly
Adverb
-
On July 14, a jury of 10 women and two men found Serafini guilty of first-degree murder and attempted murder for the shooting that killed his father-in-law Gary Spohr, 70, and severely wounded his mother-in-law, Wendy Wood, 68, at their home near Lake Tahoe.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
7 Oct. 2025
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Hamas' top leadership has been assassinated, its fighting capacity severely curbed in Gaza.—
Emily Feng,
NPR,
7 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
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
-
On an oppressively hot Friday in July, plumes of smoke curl up from Arnolds Field.—
Laura Paddison,
CNN Money,
15 Aug. 2025
Adverb
-
Catriona, the charming young heiress to a vast oil fortune, and her two year old son Adam, were brutally kidnapped at gunpoint outside a fish and chip shop in Fife.—
Jessica Radloff,
Glamour,
1 Oct. 2025
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The drama follows Wasikowska (Alice in Wonderland) as a detective called in to investigate the 1987 massacre of four scientists brutally murdered in inexplicable ways, with a lone survivor the obvious suspect.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
1 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
Nobody worked harder in practice, and that became contagious to his teammates.—
Michael Russo,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
-
The best curtains on Amazon are hard-working pieces of home decor.—
Shoko Wanger,
Architectural Digest,
6 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Harshly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harshly. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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