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
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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
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
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Recent Examples of stark
Records compiled after the battle account for the crew of 357 in stark detail.
—
Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 5 Apr. 2026
The threat is a stark contrast to Trump’s claims last week that the US did not need the Strait of Hormuz.
—Auzinea Bacon, CNN Money, 5 Apr. 2026
The early agreement marks a stark contrast from the last contract cycle, when the WGA went on strike for 148 days to secure improvements in streaming residuals, TV staffing minimums, and other terms.
—Gene Maddaus, Variety, 4 Apr. 2026
The paper’s starkest finding is that labor’s share of GDP converges to zero.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 4 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stark
Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 5 Apr. 2026
The threat is a stark contrast to Trump’s claims last week that the US did not need the Strait of Hormuz.
—Auzinea Bacon, CNN Money, 5 Apr. 2026
The early agreement marks a stark contrast from the last contract cycle, when the WGA went on strike for 148 days to secure improvements in streaming residuals, TV staffing minimums, and other terms.
—Gene Maddaus, Variety, 4 Apr. 2026
The paper’s starkest finding is that labor’s share of GDP converges to zero.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 4 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stark
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stark
Adjective
-
Colorado isn’t expected to hit that grim milestone until 2047.—
Aldo Svaldi,
Denver Post,
8 Apr. 2026
-
But California’s high prices have remained a grim fact of life, especially for young people struggling to enter the housing market, despite the draw of enjoying the Golden State’s many attributes such as its natural beauty, powerful economic might and culture of innovation.—
Terry Castleman,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
On the Base — the area above the sheer cliffs that encircle Tristan and below Queen Mary’s Peak — a group herds sheep down from the mountain.—
NPR,
NPR,
4 Apr. 2026
-
What’s harder to recreate — especially with today’s labor and materials costs — is the level of craftsmanship and the sheer weight of the build, Sadek said.—
David Caraccio
April 4,
Sacbee.com,
4 Apr. 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
-
The field, a desolate oil patch, will eventually be the central location for what became known as the Texas Killing Fields.—
John Wayne Ferguson,
Houston Chronicle,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Miller and Cook were two of four young women whose bodies were found between 1984 and 1991 in a rural field off a desolate dirt road in League City, located about 28 miles (45 kilometers) southeast of Houston.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Plot details are under wraps but according to the spartan official synopsis, the psychological thriller unfolds in a seemingly idyllic and takes audiences on a vertiginous dive into the shifting limits of a sound mind, as grief and obsession take hold.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
1 Apr. 2026
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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
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
-
Styles for men and women are available -- all with Allbirds design philosophy that's clean, modern and perfectly simple -- lightweight, bouncy and wildly comfortable.—
Tory Johnson,
ABC News,
9 Apr. 2026
-
On April 18, that reverence will look like music, laughter and a line of people waiting for something hot out of the fryer — a simple plate carrying stories from across the world, all landing in one place.—
Evan Moore,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Nick Seeler added an empty-net goal to complete the scoring.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
8 Apr. 2026
-
The founder of Shannon Adamson Interior Design in Seattle, the designer installed sliding racks that fit perfectly in the empty space between the washer/dryer and nearby countertops.—
Lindsey Mather,
Architectural Digest,
7 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stark.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stark. Accessed 10 Apr. 2026.
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