as in austere
providing only the essentials and nothing fancy or luxurious
accommodations on the windjammer are spartan but clean and comfortable nevertheless
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Recent Examples of spartan
The modern extension in the rear of the 19th-century main villa is an elegantly spartan affair that somehow complements the 19th-century edifice and brings in the surrounding foliage.
—
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Mar. 2026
His solution is to hide technology behind spartan interfaces.
—Diana Budds, Architectural Digest, 3 Mar. 2026
The learning center used to be a hostel, its spartan facilities a challenge, a lawyer mom told Lilian, for the stay-at-home mothers who would otherwise have been perfect candidates for the task of chaperoning.
—Yiyun Li, New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2026
The operatives, mostly men and women in their late twenties, sat in a circle in the spartan safe house with a single, small light and no furniture.
—Jason Burke, Time, 27 Feb. 2026
Osteria Historically speaking, an osteria was a spartan, no-frills establishment where people would go to have a drink.
—Laura Itzkowitz, Travel + Leisure, 27 Feb. 2026
While many sports cars are spartan in their functional aesthetic, including the Mercedes-AMG GT, which shares engine architecture with Aston Martin, the Vantage S feels different due to its elegant lines and abjectly opulent interior.
—Basem Wasef, Robb Report, 25 Feb. 2026
Freed from any sort of period accuracy, Davies tried to start the house in a spartan, memory-like state, as Cathy and Heathcliff would remember it from childhood.
—Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 18 Feb. 2026
In one corner stood a spartan single bed, in the other a small woodstove.
—Michael Pollan, The Atlantic, 26 Jan. 2026
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Mar. 2026
His solution is to hide technology behind spartan interfaces.
—Diana Budds, Architectural Digest, 3 Mar. 2026
The learning center used to be a hostel, its spartan facilities a challenge, a lawyer mom told Lilian, for the stay-at-home mothers who would otherwise have been perfect candidates for the task of chaperoning.
—Yiyun Li, New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2026
The operatives, mostly men and women in their late twenties, sat in a circle in the spartan safe house with a single, small light and no furniture.
—Jason Burke, Time, 27 Feb. 2026
Osteria Historically speaking, an osteria was a spartan, no-frills establishment where people would go to have a drink.
—Laura Itzkowitz, Travel + Leisure, 27 Feb. 2026
While many sports cars are spartan in their functional aesthetic, including the Mercedes-AMG GT, which shares engine architecture with Aston Martin, the Vantage S feels different due to its elegant lines and abjectly opulent interior.
—Basem Wasef, Robb Report, 25 Feb. 2026
Freed from any sort of period accuracy, Davies tried to start the house in a spartan, memory-like state, as Cathy and Heathcliff would remember it from childhood.
—Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 18 Feb. 2026
In one corner stood a spartan single bed, in the other a small woodstove.
—Michael Pollan, The Atlantic, 26 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spartan
Adjective
-
Last month, Cuba’s government implemented austere fuel-saving measures and warned that jet fuel wouldn’t be available at nine airports until mid-March.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
5 Mar. 2026
-
After humanity’s extinction, a strange woman (Hilary Swank) upends the life of a teenager raised in an austere postapocalyptic bunker under the care of a maternal robot voiced by Rose Byrne.—
Ilana Gordon,
Entertainment Weekly,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Steel-ball tree The new invention includes simple parts, such as a hollow cylinder packed with solid steel balls and a central shaft lined with radial, branch-like rods.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Mar. 2026
-
January 20 – February 18 When purpose meets resources, progress becomes simple.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
FourLeaf Credit Union is an excellent choice for those looking for a credit union mortgage lender and a no-frills loan at a lower-than-average rate.—
Kelsey Neubauer,
CNBC,
28 Feb. 2026
-
Osteria Historically speaking, an osteria was a spartan, no-frills establishment where people would go to have a drink.—
Laura Itzkowitz,
Travel + Leisure,
27 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Affordable gas pricing has been a staple of both of his administrations, and the six weeks of fuel costs under $3 per gallon were a stark contrast to the expensive gas pricing during the Biden administration.—
Washington Examiner Staff,
The Washington Examiner,
2 Mar. 2026
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His earliest records were stark, spare and sad, seemingly solo even when augmented by another voice, string player, or percussionist.—
Stephen Thomas Erlewine,
Pitchfork,
2 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spartan.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spartan. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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