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 a press conference later in the day, Mayor Frey, 44, harshly condemned the actions of ICE in his city and pushed back against the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) claims that the agent involved in the fatal shooting acted in self defense.
—
Rachel McRady, PEOPLE, 8 Jan. 2026
One of his non-Jewish primary opponents, Palm Coast City Council member Charles Gambaro, harshly criticized Fine’s Gaza remarks and declared that Gambaro, too, would seek AIPAC’s endorsement.
—Andrew Lapin, Sun Sentinel, 5 Jan. 2026
The paramount leader has responded to Trump’s mercurial nature with an equally ambiguous stoicism — responding harshly with tariffs of his own while insisting that all these disagreements can be worked out diplomatically.
—Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 1 Jan. 2026
Israeli officials have harshly criticized Australia's government for failing to protect Jewish people amid a sharp rise in recent years of antisemitic incidents.
—Tucker Reals, CBS News, 16 Dec. 2025
The New York daughter of classical musicians had been judged harshly before.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 30 Nov. 2025
The silence of the G-20 declaration on this and other jihadi atrocities on the continent is a moral disgrace, revealing the gathering to be a heartless charade that history will judge harshly.
—Paul Tilsley , Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 23 Nov. 2025
The 47-year-old governor has harshly criticized lawmakers for coming out with a multitude of solutions.
—Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2025
Human rights groups say Saudi authorities continue to harshly repress dissent, including by arresting human rights defenders, journalists and political dissidents for criticism against the kingdom.
—Arkansas Online, 19 Nov. 2025
Rachel McRady, PEOPLE, 8 Jan. 2026
One of his non-Jewish primary opponents, Palm Coast City Council member Charles Gambaro, harshly criticized Fine’s Gaza remarks and declared that Gambaro, too, would seek AIPAC’s endorsement.
—Andrew Lapin, Sun Sentinel, 5 Jan. 2026
The paramount leader has responded to Trump’s mercurial nature with an equally ambiguous stoicism — responding harshly with tariffs of his own while insisting that all these disagreements can be worked out diplomatically.
—Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 1 Jan. 2026
Israeli officials have harshly criticized Australia's government for failing to protect Jewish people amid a sharp rise in recent years of antisemitic incidents.
—Tucker Reals, CBS News, 16 Dec. 2025
The New York daughter of classical musicians had been judged harshly before.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 30 Nov. 2025
The silence of the G-20 declaration on this and other jihadi atrocities on the continent is a moral disgrace, revealing the gathering to be a heartless charade that history will judge harshly.
—Paul Tilsley , Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 23 Nov. 2025
The 47-year-old governor has harshly criticized lawmakers for coming out with a multitude of solutions.
—Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2025
Human rights groups say Saudi authorities continue to harshly repress dissent, including by arresting human rights defenders, journalists and political dissidents for criticism against the kingdom.
—Arkansas Online, 19 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harshly
Adverb
-
In the ninth century, a severely disabled woman was buried, her feet bound, in an annex of the church in Elsau, outside Zürich.—
Rivka Galchen,
New Yorker,
7 Jan. 2026
-
The time is never right to severely chop off your crape myrtle.—
Leanne Potts,
Better Homes & Gardens,
7 Jan. 2026
Adverb
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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
-
Shortly after release, Fuentes-Ponce and Escobar brutally murdered that young girl.—
Bobby Zirkin,
Baltimore Sun,
15 Jan. 2026
-
His young colleague in the District Attorney’s office, Carolyn Polhemus (Renate Reinsve), has just been brutally murdered.—
Matt Cabral,
Entertainment Weekly,
14 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
Stevens said the loss of Lea’e’s father hit the team hard.—
John Maffei,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 Jan. 2026
-
Worse, the tariff burden is a regressive tax that falls hardest on lower-income households and small businesses with less bargaining power.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Time,
13 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Harshly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harshly. Accessed 17 Jan. 2026.
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