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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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
Though the ingredients might be simple, creating a perfectly crisp yet marshmallowy pavlova that’s stark white and lofty can be challenging.
—
Bon Appétit, Bon Appetit Magazine, 9 Jan. 2026
The sites of protest include small cities such as Abadan and the Kurdish-majority Malekshahi in the southwestern Ilam province, where economic grievances, unemployment, and state neglect are stark.
—Bobby Ghosh, Time, 9 Jan. 2026
Fernandes Anderson said the way this election played out stood in stark contrast to how Louijeune’s election as Council president went down two years ago.
—Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 9 Jan. 2026
Six different Knicks scored in double figures — including all five starters — in a stark contrast to Monday night’s 121-90 loss in Detroit.
—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stark
Bon Appétit, Bon Appetit Magazine, 9 Jan. 2026
The sites of protest include small cities such as Abadan and the Kurdish-majority Malekshahi in the southwestern Ilam province, where economic grievances, unemployment, and state neglect are stark.
—Bobby Ghosh, Time, 9 Jan. 2026
Fernandes Anderson said the way this election played out stood in stark contrast to how Louijeune’s election as Council president went down two years ago.
—Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 9 Jan. 2026
Six different Knicks scored in double figures — including all five starters — in a stark contrast to Monday night’s 121-90 loss in Detroit.
—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stark
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stark
Adjective
-
Another violent image now joins the grim archive that has made Minnesota an unwilling stage for national trauma for years running.—
Phil Morris The Minnesota Star Tribune,
Arkansas Online,
10 Jan. 2026
-
Continue reading … PUT ON NOTICE – Trump discusses expansion of drug cartel crackdown, issues grim warning to Iran.—
,
FOXNews.com,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The Rhode founder stunned in a sheer black mesh teddy with a G-string thong design and an ab-baring cutout made out of straps.—
Lara Walsh,
InStyle,
7 Jan. 2026
-
But the department has argued the sheer volume of documents that need to be found, uploaded, reviewed, redacted and published has forced it to instead release the files online on a rolling basis, with a series of enormous document dumps over the course of several days in mid-December.—
Joe Walsh,
CBS News,
6 Jan. 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
-
Sátántangó’s desolate landscapes, dominated by mud, wind, and overcast skies, summoned a vision of earthly purgatory unrivaled in almost all of cinema.—
Tim Grierson,
Rolling Stone,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Thanksgiving is desolate with freezing rain.—
Allegra Goodman,
New Yorker,
4 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Made the short walk back down the hill, sat in the spartan dorm room that was my home for the next nine months.—
Sarah Chamberlain,
PEOPLE,
10 Oct. 2025
-
With ski season only a few weeks away, the Vail Pass rest area reopened to the public on Tuesday with a bigger, better building that replaced a spartan structure built in 1980.—
John Meyer,
Denver Post,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Approved by The Boss himself, the live-music and storytelling show finds Azaria slipping into his best Springsteen guise for a night of gruff tales and greatest hits.—
John Wenzel,
Denver Post,
24 Dec. 2025
-
The gory skit ends with the gruff older man rushing through the door to announce he’s made amends with his son, only to have his head sliced off by the flying chainsaw.—
Mitchell Peters,
Billboard,
21 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
According to Bruce Blair, a former Air Force launch officer and nuclear policy expert, between 1962 and the mid-1970s the most powerful digits on the globe were simple – eight zeros.—
Charlotte Reck,
CNN Money,
9 Nov. 2025
-
That something as simple as a COVID vaccine might improve survival in cancer patients receiving standard immunotherapy has taken oncologists by surprise — in a good way.—
Lisa Jarvis,
Twin Cities,
8 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
That set up a dramatic final four minutes until Josh Doan scored a nearly 169-foot empty-netter to give the Sabres the breathing room for a 5-3 win.—
Matthew Fairburn,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
-
All of Bed Bath & Beyond’s complaints have contended that the carriers compounded the retailer’s operational and financial distress throughout the pandemic as shelves went empty and costs soared, ultimately leading to the company’s demise.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
6 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stark.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stark. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share