as in small
of a size that is less than average
a puny, wrinkled apple
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of puny
But the rent roll was puny, and few tenants could have paid more even if rent stabilization had allowed for it.
—
Michael Powell, The Atlantic, 11 Feb. 2026
Egg’s plucky insolence belies his puny size, a comedic contrast with Claffey’s ex-rugby player physique, and perhaps his seemingly humble origins as well.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 13 Jan. 2026
But puny xenophobic humans won't ever see the light of Eywa?
—Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 19 Dec. 2025
Yet Tesla’s now going in the wrong direction by booking puny and declining profits.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 29 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for puny
Michael Powell, The Atlantic, 11 Feb. 2026
Egg’s plucky insolence belies his puny size, a comedic contrast with Claffey’s ex-rugby player physique, and perhaps his seemingly humble origins as well.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 13 Jan. 2026
But puny xenophobic humans won't ever see the light of Eywa?
—Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 19 Dec. 2025
Yet Tesla’s now going in the wrong direction by booking puny and declining profits.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 29 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for puny
Recent Examples of Synonyms for puny
Adjective
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Modern warfare has shown that traditional radar systems often struggle to identify and monitor many small drones flying together.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Mar. 2026
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Adjust a subscription or renegotiate a small fee, then record the change, because tracking progress reinforces confidence and protects your careful planning.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
14 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Chinese-speaking netizens were amused by the story, and in particular the absurd display of cops escorting the diminutive android.—
Frank Landymore,
Futurism,
12 Mar. 2026
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Despite its diminutive size, there are some big (quite literally) reasons to visit Terlingua.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The Boston bats made little noise all night in North Port.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
15 Mar. 2026
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But even this caricature is more than what’s afforded to Zoe (Iris Apatow) and her Deaf sister Chloe (Millicent Simmonds), whose collective function is the former interpreting for the latter in American Sign Language, but little else.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
14 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Republicans have a tiny majority in the House, but a larger margin for error in the Senate, except for the filibuster.—
W. James Antle III,
The Washington Examiner,
20 Mar. 2026
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The tiny Kensington restaurant is a rare regional destination for the food of the archipelagos, a responsibility its owner does not take lightly.—
Elazar Sontag,
Washington Post,
19 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Puny.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/puny. Accessed 21 Mar. 2026.
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