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
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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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of steely
Then there’s the steely courage of Betty Ong, an American Airlines flight attendant on Flight 11, the first plane to crash into the World Trade Center on 9/11.
—
Michael Goldstein, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
In an essay published in Vogue, longtime magazine editor Anna Wintour characterized Armani as a steely, dedicated and, above all, innovative force in the fashion industry.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2025
The Chicago Athletic Association offers an elevated members club experience without the steely pretension.
—Kate Kassin, Bon Appetit Magazine, 5 Sep. 2025
Raised in smoky Manchester, her tiny hands toiling away in cotton mills, she’s kept in line by a steely disciplinarian father.
—Radhika Seth, Vogue, 1 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for steely
Michael Goldstein, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
In an essay published in Vogue, longtime magazine editor Anna Wintour characterized Armani as a steely, dedicated and, above all, innovative force in the fashion industry.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2025
The Chicago Athletic Association offers an elevated members club experience without the steely pretension.
—Kate Kassin, Bon Appetit Magazine, 5 Sep. 2025
Raised in smoky Manchester, her tiny hands toiling away in cotton mills, she’s kept in line by a steely disciplinarian father.
—Radhika Seth, Vogue, 1 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for steely
Recent Examples of Synonyms for steely
Adjective
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This pays off to some extent because Day-Lewis is such a mesmerizing presence, Ray’s gruff manner and terse communications hinting at dark mysteries to be revealed.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Sep. 2025
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Panday plays a convincingly gruff tortured artist alongside Padda’s struggling ingenue, and most of the screen time is devoted to their pairing instead of introducing tertiary excess.—
Proma Khosla,
IndieWire,
13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
TelevisaUnivsion issued a stern statement of displeasure at the situation.—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
2 Oct. 2025
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In a series of rulings on motions brought by Combs after his conviction, Judge Subramanian has been stern.—
Jodi Guglielmi,
Rolling Stone,
2 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Her eyes were technically blue, but really more gray; other people’s blue eyes seemed to draw commentary, but no one ever remarked on hers.—
Catherine Lacey,
New Yorker,
5 Oct. 2025
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Saturday morning on campus in Westwood was gray and groggy.—
Cameron Teague Robinson,
New York Times,
5 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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As Auberge continues expanding into urban markets and deepening its European presence, the challenge will be maintaining that fierce independence at scale.—
Ritu Upadhyay,
Footwear News,
6 Oct. 2025
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Rescuers are struggling to reach at least 200 hikers trapped in a Mount Everest valley by an unexpectedly fierce weekend snowstorm that pounded the mountain with snow and heavy rain, according to Chinese state media CCTV.—
Janet Loehrke,
USA Today,
6 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The launch produced a bright, silver-white plume that changed into colorful veils as the sun illuminated the high exhaust at about 70-110 km (45-70 miles).—
Kapil Kajal,
Interesting Engineering,
1 Oct. 2025
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The look Sweeney took inspiration from was first worn on the runway ensconced in a gargantuan, white faux fur coat, before the model stripped it off to reveal the silver showstopper underneath.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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At the core of the GOP’s shutdown argument is painting a grim picture of any non-citizen receiving any government benefit.—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
2 Oct. 2025
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In her usual soft-spoken British accent, she was known for balancing the grim realities of the climate crisis with a sincere message of hope for the future.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The volume opens with a photo of TCU’s Land Acknowledgment monument, a rugged, granite boulder with a circular bronze plaque.—
Hollace Ava Weiner,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
3 Oct. 2025
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There was a lull from mid-March through the end of the regular season — the team, at least at the time, pointed to a rugged schedule with trips all over the country sandwiched around brief stops at home — but when the playoffs began, well, the Cavs had the best series, statistically, in history.—
Joe Vardon,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Being less direct and formal can help prevent your kid putting a wall up — as can chatting during car rides since not being face-to-face can feel less intimidating for them.—
Kristen Rogers,
CNN Money,
26 Sep. 2025
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The San Francisco 49ers began the year with one of the more intimidating defensive fronts in the NFL.—
Michael Gallagher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Steely.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/steely. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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