1
as in grim
harsh and threatening in manner or appearance
stark and forbidding mountains that the settlers knew that they would have to cross
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sheer
having no exceptions or restrictions
the school's stark prohibition against obscene slogans on clothing
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in devoid
lacking contents that could or should be present
house buyers trying to imagine what those stark rooms would look like when filled with furniture
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in desolate
producing inferior or only a small amount of vegetation
a once-lush landscape rendered depressingly stark by strip-mining and deforestation
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5
as in spartan
providing only the essentials and nothing fancy or luxurious
monks who have committed themselves to living in stark cells and working and praying in silence
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of stark
The social violation posed by Meta’s glasses is unusually stark.
—
Sarah Jeong, The Verge, 1 Mar. 2026
If not liberated, Iranians woke up on Sunday to a stark new reality, as Iranian authorities confirmed that the sweeping round of strikes had killed Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, along with a cadre of other top officials.
—Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2026
For the United States and its allies, the episode offers a stark reminder that modern conflict now blends airstrikes with digital warfare in ways that can ripple far beyond the battlefield.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 1 Mar. 2026
There’s a stark disconnect between Americans’ worry about climate change and the amount of attention the issue is receiving publicly, a recent survey by the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication and George Mason University found.
—Fran Silverman, Hartford Courant, 28 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stark
Sarah Jeong, The Verge, 1 Mar. 2026
If not liberated, Iranians woke up on Sunday to a stark new reality, as Iranian authorities confirmed that the sweeping round of strikes had killed Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, along with a cadre of other top officials.
—Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2026
For the United States and its allies, the episode offers a stark reminder that modern conflict now blends airstrikes with digital warfare in ways that can ripple far beyond the battlefield.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 1 Mar. 2026
There’s a stark disconnect between Americans’ worry about climate change and the amount of attention the issue is receiving publicly, a recent survey by the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication and George Mason University found.
—Fran Silverman, Hartford Courant, 28 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stark
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stark
Adjective
-
The logic of what attracts the news media’s interest can be quite grim.—
Robert Moor,
New Yorker,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Sunday’s attack now occupies that grim distinction in Austin’s modern history.—
Emiliano Tahui Gómez,
Austin American Statesman,
2 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
In the end, his sheer inattention to your pleasure was what made the decision for you.—
Addie Citchens,
New Yorker,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Much of the buildout is being paid for with operating cash flows, but the sheer magnitude of the spending has prompted companies to shake up the calculus by bridging the gap between capex and free cash flow with bonds.—
Amanda Gerut,
Fortune,
7 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Banking has become functionally correct but emotionally devoid, with the industry swimming in a sea of sameness.—
Michael Abbott,
Forbes,
19 Mar. 2025
-
That devoid ingredient hindered things exponentially.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
15 Feb. 2024
Adjective
-
Your character is a shape-shifting Ditto, and you’ve been dropped in a desolate landscape.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Feb. 2026
-
The gang pulls up to a desolate area, finding Albert's most recent car there.—
Jordan Hoffman,
Entertainment Weekly,
23 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
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
Adjective
-
As Woody Harrelson detailed Harrison Ford's accomplishments from the Actors Awards stage, the famously gruff actor seemed to squirm in his seat, somehow uncomfortable with praise even at the age of 83.—
Eve Batey,
Vanity Fair,
2 Mar. 2026
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While not gruff or unfriendly, the serious New York restaurateur carries a distinct tone of getting down to business, even when casually chatting about how the show has changed over time.—
Heidi Finley,
Charlotte Observer,
27 Feb. 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
-
The skies over the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Israel, Bahrain, Iraq and Jordan all remained nearly empty Wednesday morning, as shown on maps by flight tracking website Flightradar24.—
Marnie Hunter,
CNN Money,
4 Mar. 2026
-
The arrivals board was blank, the baggage claims were still, and the taxi ranks were empty.—
Emma Graham,
CNBC,
3 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stark.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stark. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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