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
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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of stark
The response was a stark contrast to the years before, when life had been vivid and full of possibility.
—
Jordan Greene, People.com, 22 Aug. 2025
The stark scene is an annual reminder of the deadly toll some pay for ingesting fentanyl, methamphetamine, alcohol and other drugs.
—Karen Kucher, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Aug. 2025
Short-sellers like Left insist that Palantir’s business isn’t as scalable or as subscription-based as Wall Street prefers, in stark contrast to OpenAI.
—Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 22 Aug. 2025
The truth is stark: Britain has crossed the line from regulating protest to policing thought.
—Lois McLatchie Miller, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stark
Jordan Greene, People.com, 22 Aug. 2025
The stark scene is an annual reminder of the deadly toll some pay for ingesting fentanyl, methamphetamine, alcohol and other drugs.
—Karen Kucher, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Aug. 2025
Short-sellers like Left insist that Palantir’s business isn’t as scalable or as subscription-based as Wall Street prefers, in stark contrast to OpenAI.
—Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 22 Aug. 2025
The truth is stark: Britain has crossed the line from regulating protest to policing thought.
—Lois McLatchie Miller, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stark
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stark
Adjective
-
So, while the start of this season has been grim for Vitor Pereira and his team, all is not lost.—
Steve Madeley,
New York Times,
24 Aug. 2025
-
The rhetoric of 2025 is confrontational, transactional, divisive and grim.—
Leah M. Wright,
CNN Money,
23 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Founder Samantha Brett emphasizes layering SPF over makeup, with formulas like their Beauty Screen Mineral Tints providing SPF50 protection in a sheer, wearable finish.—
Laia Farran Graves,
Forbes.com,
14 Aug. 2025
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The look was finished with a silk tulle veil, crystal beaded Manolo Blahnik satin sandals and a pair of sheer elbow gloves.—
Leah Dolan,
CNN Money,
14 Aug. 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
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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
-
Exploring Indonesia—an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands—over a decade has led me to some truly jaw-dropping beaches, some gloriously desolate, others vibrantly alive with international travelers, expats, and locals.—
Kathryn Romeyn,
Travel + Leisure,
4 Aug. 2025
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Meanwhile, two days before the double murder, a 21-year-old man was shot and wounded around 3:30 a.m. on the same desolate block, which is about a mile and a half from where Sanchez was killed, cops said.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
2 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
The central quartet of friends have a supportive connection underneath all their hormones and egos — Elba proves a standout as the gruff but warm defacto leader — that makes their bloody and sexed-up misadventures oddly wholesome.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
13 Aug. 2025
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Dougal MacKenzie loves a good prank — and so do the actors who play the gruff Highland Scot.—
Maureen Lee Lenker Published,
EW.com,
25 July 2025
Adjective
-
But it was intended to be a simple, three-course meal, the documents showed.—
Chiara Eisner,
NPR,
16 Aug. 2025
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The recycled leather lanyard adds to its convenience and simple, timeless style.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
16 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Folks fill empty totes and baskets with loaves of the traditional bread ($15), and for good reason.—
Rachel Bernhard,
jsonline.com,
24 Aug. 2025
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This can also be an issue for heirs who may have to empty pre-tax accounts and boost their adjusted gross income during their peak earning years, experts say.—
Kate Dore, CFP®, EA,
CNBC,
24 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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For the visual effects supervisors who were tasked with bringing the arctic horrors to life, their challenge was adding depth and value to a barren landscape.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
18 Aug. 2025
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Deep in the interior lies Askja, a vast volcanic caldera surrounded by a barren lava desert.—
David Nikel,
Forbes.com,
16 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stark.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stark. Accessed 28 Aug. 2025.
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