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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Example Sentences
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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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But the Thunder, as small as can be without injured centers Isaiah Hartenstein, Jaylin Williams and Holmgren, pieced together a valiant comeback behind the efforts of eight-year veteran forward Kenrich Williams.—
Joel Lorenzi,
New York Times,
10 Jan. 2026
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Knicks fans booed their valiant, heroic, oftentimes teflon team when the Hawks’ lead ballooned to 29 points midway through the third quarter.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
3 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The powerful Sun clashes with Chiron by way of your chatter quadrant and your habit zone, encouraging you to address a tricky situation at work or in your neighborhood with courageous calm.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
12 Jan. 2026
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Do not let the voices of my courageous compatriots be silenced.—
Tucker Reals,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Those specifics aside, more stunningly, researchers discovered that these brave, early explorers of new worlds demonstrated a different way of moving than had been previously understood.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Jan. 2026
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If Tulsa, Oklahoma, can create this support system from scratch and help thousands of strangers succeed in a new town, any organization can adapt to support their employees in our brave, new remote world.—
Justin Harlan,
Fortune,
11 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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For his battle-worn, brooding rendition of the heroic outlaw in the A24 film, the Les Misérables actor shows off a long gray beard paired with silver locks—a far cry from other Robin Hoods portrayed by actors like Kevin Costner, Sean Connery, and Russell Crowe.—
Lara Walsh,
InStyle,
6 Jan. 2026
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Her father grew up in Vichy France and was obsessed with her long-dead grandfather, Georges, a Belgian Jew with a heroic and tragic life that became a family myth.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Christ pulls him out of a tiny hole, like a gallant medieval knight rescuing a maiden in distress.—
Mary Dzon,
The Conversation,
12 Dec. 2025
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And yet, welcoming that idea can shock the system because our popular conception of the American Revolution is so often encased in bloodless, gallant myth.—
Sarah Botstein,
The Atlantic,
8 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The new mayor is best served by a fearless watchdog making sure that the public’s interests are protected from thievery and graft, which is sure to happen.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
11 Jan. 2026
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The comedian, known for her razor-sharp wit and fearless approach to comedy, made waves with her hosting debut in 2025, earning critical acclaim for her performance.—
Jenzia Burgos,
StyleCaster,
11 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Manful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/manful. Accessed 19 Jan. 2026.
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