as in valiant
feeling or displaying no fear by temperament
he made the manful decision to stick by his friends when everyone else had abandoned them
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Recent Examples of manful
Intermittent fasting was of a piece with an interest in manful self-improvement via stoicism.
—
Molly Fischer, The New Yorker, 24 Apr. 2024
Camping with a rogue dynamiter, Siringo stuck elk horns into two neighboring peaks and claimed to have named the mountains in honor of their manful bond.
—Dan Piepenbring, Harper's Magazine, 14 Aug. 2023
The other deputies smiled, ready to toast the capital with manful drafts of vodka.
—Alex Halberstadt, Town & Country, 9 Oct. 2015
Molly Fischer, The New Yorker, 24 Apr. 2024
Camping with a rogue dynamiter, Siringo stuck elk horns into two neighboring peaks and claimed to have named the mountains in honor of their manful bond.
—Dan Piepenbring, Harper's Magazine, 14 Aug. 2023
The other deputies smiled, ready to toast the capital with manful drafts of vodka.
—Alex Halberstadt, Town & Country, 9 Oct. 2015
Recent Examples of Synonyms for manful
Adjective
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There was a strong suspicion that the deployment of Meredith and his two valiant soldiers was more of a low-cost publicity stunt than a serious attempt to cull the emu population.—
Tom Hawking,
Popular Science,
25 Feb. 2026
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With Steph Curry in street clothes for the second consecutive game while dealing with runner’s knee, the 11-man Golden State put up a valiant effort that resulted in a come-from-behind 101-97 win.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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These gains are the result of courageous leadership and a relentless focus on the fundamentals.—
Jeb Bush,
Chicago Tribune,
23 Feb. 2026
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Their home stands as a reminder that democracy requires both courageous lawyers and courageous journalists.—
Alvin C. Hathaway Sr,
Baltimore Sun,
22 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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O'Donnell kicks things off with America's founding document – the one declaring independence and bearing the names of 56 founding fathers … and one very brave woman.—
Mo Rocca,
CBS News,
22 Feb. 2026
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Goldman Sachs’ brave governance committee move to remove DEI policies is a great step towards rethinking inclusion based on the broadest talent pool.—
Betsy Atkins,
Fortune,
22 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Not a heroic act, but a cultural revolution.—
Stefania Conrieri,
Vanity Fair,
20 Feb. 2026
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Luckily, our heroic toys have a returning Woody on their side, who is now balding.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
19 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Tilt and the gallant escort was replaced by a boy too traumatized to leave his mother’s side.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 Jan. 2026
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While Son of Hitler takes plenty of creative liberty when the titular character is recruited to assassinate his famous father for the Allies, the fate of the real-life Loret isn’t so gallant.—
Rosemary Counter,
Vanity Fair,
19 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Isabel was fearless, Atkin thought.—
Charlotte Harpur,
New York Times,
21 Feb. 2026
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Kit is blind to Deano’s circumstances and is drawn to his friend’s energy and fearless worldview.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
20 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Manful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/manful. Accessed 28 Feb. 2026.
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