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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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of stark Stay away from stark whites and blacks for this style. Cori Sears, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 May 2025 The Japanese automaker calls this iteration of the C-HR stylish and powerful, which is a stark contrast from the discontinued 2022 model year, based on a vehicle review from Kelley Blue Book. Charles Singh, USA Today, 19 May 2025 Fernandes, in stark contrast, has given his best years to a club enduring their worst years. Daniel Taylor, New York Times, 19 May 2025 As Hay playfully commented, the Opry offered a stark contrast to other highbrow programs populating the airwaves, swapping symphonies and arias for jaunty renditions of old Anglo-Celtic, European and African-American ballads played on the fiddle, banjo and guitar. Lindsay Kusiak, Smithsonian Magazine, 19 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for stark
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stark
Adjective
  • India claims to have targeted militant infrastructure, but the reality is grim: at least 26 Pakistani civilians -including women and a young child were reported killed in the strikes.
    Faisal Kutty, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 May 2025
  • Sitting in on India press conferences can often be a bit grim, carefully orchestrated by the team's hierarchy and little is usually given to their hungry press corps.
    Tristan Lavalette, Forbes.com, 8 May 2025
Adjective
  • Secrets of the Thrift Kidney's strategy centers on knowledge, patience, and sheer time investment.
    Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 May 2025
  • Cyrus released the single alongside a black-and-white video that sways from footage of the singer dripping in crystals to wearing a long, classic dress and toward the end, wearing a somber black coat with sheer fabric covering her face.
    Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 9 May 2025
Adjective
  • Banking has become functionally correct but emotionally devoid, with the industry swimming in a sea of sameness.
    Michael Abbott, Forbes, 19 Mar. 2025
  • Delle, devoid for so long from its intrinsic need for social interaction might be filling in the gaps by talking to himself.
    Mack DeGeurin, Popular Science, 14 Feb. 2023
Adjective
  • A lot of people have this idea of the north as being cold and desolate, and maybe people, once upon a time, lived up there, but don't anymore.
    Dana Feldman, Forbes.com, 22 Apr. 2025
  • The Memphis rapper began the show with dramatics, rising on a giant platform with her back to the audience as a screen behind her projected the image of a desolate street.
    John Lonsdale, Rolling Stone, 12 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • The rest of the film takes place in a prison, where Henry’s gruff but philosophical cellmate, Gene (Shia LaBeouf), tries to teach him the ways of the world.
    Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 30 Apr. 2025
  • Fimmel digs into the more stereotypical gruff bounty hunter with relish, though the character itself is a western staple.
    Pete Hammond, Deadline, 1 May 2025
Adjective
  • Style them with a simple tank for a casual day out, or add a blazer and ballet flats for a more polished airport look.
    Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 12 May 2025
  • Experts say these are all the benefits of this simple exercise Is Zone 2 cardio best for fat loss?
    Daryl Austin, USA Today, 12 May 2025
Adjective
  • One night at dinner, my daughter whispered to me that the empty bread basket was a bummer.
    Lauren Mechling, Vogue, 19 May 2025
  • Panthers come up empty on early power plays Minimal action at the net through the first 13 minutes, although Florida did have two power plays — both of which Toronto killed off.
    Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 17 May 2025
Adjective
  • In the early 1900s, Jennie Butchart transformed the scarred land of a barren limestone quarry into a lush retreat, proving nature’s resilience.
    Cheryl Russell, Oc Register, 11 May 2025
  • The inky ocean depths are often assumed to be barren, but this is a myth, said Adrian Glover, a deep-sea ocean scientist at the UK’s Natural History Museum.
    Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 8 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Stark.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stark. Accessed 23 May. 2025.

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