1
as in gruff
harsh and threatening in manner or appearance
pinned them with a steely gaze and demanded to know what they were doing
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in grey
of the color gray
steely eyes that are the color of a stormy sky
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of steely
Giants this weekend, then the Padres from July 28-30 — kept afloat by its steely overachievers on the mound.
—
Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 25 July 2025
The steely blue, flesh-and-blood missile vaulted 10, 15, then 20 feet against the sky, then crashed home on its side in a shimmering explosion.
—Pat Smith, Outdoor Life, 24 July 2025
Alex Williams, an Indiana native with a mesmerizing, Stapleton-like baritone and a steely gaze, found himself in the middle of that search.
—Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 18 July 2025
The British singer, producer, dancer, and actress has always operated from the periphery, eschewing straight-up bangers for steely, elusive mood pieces; what her songs lack in top 40 appeal they more than make up for in vision.
—Allaire Nuss, EW.com, 13 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for steely
Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 25 July 2025
The steely blue, flesh-and-blood missile vaulted 10, 15, then 20 feet against the sky, then crashed home on its side in a shimmering explosion.
—Pat Smith, Outdoor Life, 24 July 2025
Alex Williams, an Indiana native with a mesmerizing, Stapleton-like baritone and a steely gaze, found himself in the middle of that search.
—Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 18 July 2025
The British singer, producer, dancer, and actress has always operated from the periphery, eschewing straight-up bangers for steely, elusive mood pieces; what her songs lack in top 40 appeal they more than make up for in vision.
—Allaire Nuss, EW.com, 13 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for steely
Recent Examples of Synonyms for steely
Adjective
-
Faced with this existential crisis, Bull gathers his best pals—Rocco, a gruff boxer (Idris Elba); Lucky, a dopey but loyal beagle (Bobby Moynihan); and Fetch, a wannabe influencer dachshund (Fred Armisen)—for one final night of canine mischief.—
Travis Bean,
Forbes.com,
1 Aug. 2025
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The strength and conditioning coach barked out stretches in a gruff voice, starting off the first practice of fall football camp on a note of discipline.—
Haley Sawyer,
Oc Register,
30 July 2025
Adjective
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Dark grey smoke could be seen billowing as the explosion occurred during a time-lapse video shared by ABC affiliate WTAE.—
Jillian Frankel,
People.com,
11 Aug. 2025
-
The former Michigan Wolverine led the grey team, coached by UConn’s associate head coach Kimani Young, to a blowout, 73-36 win over first-year assistant Mike Nardi’s blue squad.—
Joe Arruda,
Hartford Courant,
8 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Amid the Yankees' slump, Boone's leadership, managing style and willingness to be stern with players have all been questioned.—
Aaliyan Mohammed,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Aug. 2025
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The witness said Berrios was stern about handling the situation with Torres by herself.—
Staff report,
Hartford Courant,
9 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
The play kitchen is primarily black and light gray with wood-like countertops and measures about 44 inches (length) x 13 ¾ inches (width) x 43 inches (height).—
Chad Murphy,
The Enquirer,
5 Aug. 2025
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Elsewhere, mountainsides are terraced like gigantic stairs by the harvesting of stone, a ceiling vent sits above a bulldozer at the top of an industrial hill like a halo, and a machine 3-D-prints out shapes with cement as though creating decorations with gray icing for an immense cake.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
1 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Nonetheless, the show’s premiere provides the perfect moment to map out the slimy, menacing world of Ellen Ripley and company in their epic battle against one of the galaxy’s fiercest creatures.—
Dan Heching,
CNN Money,
12 Aug. 2025
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On a subsequent rally, Kaylee smacked a fierce shot past me, scoring her team a point.—
Dhruv Khullar,
New Yorker,
11 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The two men then fled from the scene in a black Hyundai Sonata and a third man was seen on surveillance footage following in a silver Ford Fusion, according to court documents.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
14 Aug. 2025
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Interested in bringing a hint of metallic into your living room, similar to how all the It-girls are donning silver sneakers as part of the latest footwear obsession?—
Stacia Datskovska,
Footwear News,
14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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With all due respect to the pressures of making an unconventional sci-fi film on a tight budget, using ecologically destructive technology for a story of ecological devastation, in which clean water is an increasingly rare resource, adds an unintentionally grim layer of irony to the tale.—
Josh Slater-Williams,
IndieWire,
11 Aug. 2025
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Marathon’s rollout has been somewhat grim, with initial flashy trailers years earlier giving way to underperforming gameplay previews and a very unfinished, public Alpha that created intensely negative vibes around the project.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
8 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Shot on location across Cape Town and the Western Cape, the production embraces a rugged, sun-drenched aesthetic.—
Callum McLennan,
Variety,
7 Aug. 2025
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After challenging hikes through Zion's rugged terrain, there is nothing more healing than relaxing in waters that remind us of Iceland's Blue Lagoon, the Dead Sea, or Japan's Hokkaido Island.—
Shelby Knick,
Forbes.com,
7 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Steely.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/steely. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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