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
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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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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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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of stark
Years in the making At the center of the prosecution is a sweeping federal indictment that paints a stark picture of Venezuela’s upper echelons of power, alleging that for more than two decades the country’s leadership turned the machinery of the state into a vehicle for narcotics trafficking.
—
Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 20 Mar. 2026
Legendary Asian filmmaker Peter Chan Ho-sun issued a stark warning about artificial intelligence at a Hong Kong FilMart co-production panel, predicting that the technology poses an existential threat not to art-house cinema but to the commercial blockbuster.
—Marcus Lim, Variety, 20 Mar. 2026
In interviews decades later, Norris recalled feeling shy and unathletic as a child, describing his early years in stark terms.
—Daniel Arkin, NBC news, 20 Mar. 2026
On a first reading, the stark ending seems anticlimactic.
—Mary Foskett, The Conversation, 20 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stark
Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 20 Mar. 2026
Legendary Asian filmmaker Peter Chan Ho-sun issued a stark warning about artificial intelligence at a Hong Kong FilMart co-production panel, predicting that the technology poses an existential threat not to art-house cinema but to the commercial blockbuster.
—Marcus Lim, Variety, 20 Mar. 2026
In interviews decades later, Norris recalled feeling shy and unathletic as a child, describing his early years in stark terms.
—Daniel Arkin, NBC news, 20 Mar. 2026
On a first reading, the stark ending seems anticlimactic.
—Mary Foskett, The Conversation, 20 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stark
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stark
Adjective
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Indeed, young women like Alyoshka’s bride may be looking at a grim future, in which their husbands, in accordance with tradition, have the right to ignore or even beat them.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Can this industry get any more grim?—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
If the success of a party is measured by the sheer volume of sequins, few could compete with the Conservative Action Political Conference.—
Sarah Bahari,
Dallas Morning News,
28 Mar. 2026
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At various crucial points in the journey, the crew expects to lose contact with mission control because of the sheer distance and physics involved with the flight.—
Jackie Wattles,
CNN Money,
27 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
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That devoid ingredient hindered things exponentially.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
15 Feb. 2024
Adjective
-
Overall, the museum’s collection which once held 150,000 artifacts attributed to periods of Sudanese history as far back as the Stone Age has now been left desolate.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
17 Mar. 2026
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His work can be gritty, like an act of discovery, as his camera pops in and out of shadows, through desolate, post-apocalyptic shops and office buildings.—
Heide Janssen,
Oc Register,
15 Mar. 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
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His solution is to hide technology behind spartan interfaces.—
Diana Budds,
Architectural Digest,
3 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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As Liborio, an orphan who risked his life to cross the border and ended up living in the attic of a bookstore thanks to the kindness of the gruff owner, Chief (Eddie Marsan), the actor plays a narrator who consistently breaks the fourth wall.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Variety,
18 Mar. 2026
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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
Adjective
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In Catanzaro Lido, a beach town along the Ionian coast, meals tend to be simple and communal.—
Jenna Curcio,
Condé Nast Traveler,
25 Mar. 2026
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In her first interview since becoming head of content at Disney+ EMEA, Angela Jain has said the message to writers and producers is simple, the streamer is going to greenlight more originals from the region and will be backing that effort with extra funds for local fare.—
Stewart Clarke,
Deadline,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Darren Raddysh had a goal and two assists, Brayden Point, Brandon Hagel and Jake Guentzel also scored, and Pontus Holmberg added an empty-netter in the final half-minute.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
25 Mar. 2026
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Union leaders and federal officials say empty gas tanks, childcare expenses and the threat of eviction keep more screeners from showing up the longer the shutdown continues.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
25 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stark.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stark. Accessed 30 Mar. 2026.
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