as in ancient
dating or surviving from the distant past
hoary oak trees with dripping moss and gnarled limbs shaded us from the sun
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hoary
Connecticut’s three tree-roosting bat species include the eastern red, silver-haired, and hoary bats.
—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
22 Apr. 2026
That hoary image remains compelling.
—
Sam Lipsyte,
Curbed,
15 Dec. 2025
The most common species of bats found in Grand Teton National Park are little brown bats, followed by big brown, silver-haired, hoary, Yuma, long-legged, and long-eared bats, the agency said.
—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
18 Aug. 2025
Ultimately, everyone’s happiness is denied, which makes for a cautionary critique of the hoary cliché of 1950s repression (the same falsification that was the basis of Todd Haynes’s drab lesbian drama Carol, starring Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara).
—
Armond White,
National Review,
25 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hoary
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
22 Apr. 2026
That hoary image remains compelling.
—
Sam Lipsyte,
Curbed,
15 Dec. 2025
The most common species of bats found in Grand Teton National Park are little brown bats, followed by big brown, silver-haired, hoary, Yuma, long-legged, and long-eared bats, the agency said.
—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
18 Aug. 2025
Ultimately, everyone’s happiness is denied, which makes for a cautionary critique of the hoary cliché of 1950s repression (the same falsification that was the basis of Todd Haynes’s drab lesbian drama Carol, starring Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara).
—
Armond White,
National Review,
25 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hoary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hoary
Adjective
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Learn about Sarasota’s ancient past at Phillippi Estate Park or look for the resident deer at Rothenbach Park.
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The pallium, a woolen collar embroidered with six crosses, is an ancient symbol of authority and obligation.
Adjective
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The 60th edition of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (KVIFF) is gearing up to celebrate the venerable Czech fest’s past and, at the same time, guide it into its future.
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Cosmetics, as venerable as mirrors, boomed to an unprecedented degree.
Adjective
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The infant, who is 9 months old, was rescued along with her mother, the State Department told Fox News Digital.
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While students honed their skills at the Santa Monica studio for the last year and four months, Blanck found an old pilates studio in Pacific Highlands for rent, but the numbers just didn't add up.
Adjective
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At work, Kirkham uses an antique sand hourglass which times an hour.
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The cedar’s visible woodgrain adds a rustic quality, and the roof’s shingles create an antique aesthetic.
Adjective
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Enter Peskesi and the dozens of regenerative and natural wineries scattered across the southwest of Crete near quiet, picturesque Chania, which form its wine trail, a range from medieval-palace tasting rooms to sprawling vineyard operations.
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Not many estates can claim to have a 1,000-year-old medieval tower in the backyard, but that’s exactly what anchors this historic property in the heart of Tuscany’s renowned Chianti wine region.
Cite this Entry
“Hoary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hoary. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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