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 gray
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
Faut has a steely confidence and a quiet authority.
—
Patrick Z. McGavin, Chicago Tribune, 26 Mar. 2026
That story concerns Kay Scarpetta, a forensic pathologist of the usual steely determination.
—Graham Hillard, The Washington Examiner, 20 Mar. 2026
Cordell Walker, a steely-eyed former Marine who dispensed Lone Star justice with roundhouse kicks and a decidedly old-school moral code.
—Daniel Arkin, NBC news, 20 Mar. 2026
Filmmaker Ashley Shanté pitched a Hollywood writers’ room on the idea of adding a character who graduated from a historically Black college or university (HBCU), and was met with steely silence.
—Joshua Alston, USA Today, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for steely
Patrick Z. McGavin, Chicago Tribune, 26 Mar. 2026
That story concerns Kay Scarpetta, a forensic pathologist of the usual steely determination.
—Graham Hillard, The Washington Examiner, 20 Mar. 2026
Cordell Walker, a steely-eyed former Marine who dispensed Lone Star justice with roundhouse kicks and a decidedly old-school moral code.
—Daniel Arkin, NBC news, 20 Mar. 2026
Filmmaker Ashley Shanté pitched a Hollywood writers’ room on the idea of adding a character who graduated from a historically Black college or university (HBCU), and was met with steely silence.
—Joshua Alston, USA Today, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for steely
Recent Examples of Synonyms for steely
Adjective
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Leslie and her gruff-but-caring, staunch Libertarian boss Ron Swanson (the incomparable Nick Offerman) became symbols of bygone bipartisanship, not to mention endless memes.—
Jennifer Armstrong,
IndieWire,
15 Apr. 2026
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And Zendaya, as to be expected, really, is fantastic, slipping effortlessly under the skin of the gruff addict in recovery, trying to claw her way out of an increasingly deep hole.—
Radhika Seth,
Vogue,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The woman’s expression, painted in different shades of gray, is intentionally distorted in Picasso’s signature Cubist style.—
Jake McGowan,
CNN Money,
11 Apr. 2026
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The mission also revealed a new side of our planet with an Earthset photo, showing our Blue Marble setting behind the gray, pockmarked moon.—
Marcia Dunn,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Now, the historic oil crisis triggered by the United States and Israel’s war on Iran is posing the sternest test to date of China’s Promethean effort toward energy self-sufficiency.—
Simone McCarthy,
CNN Money,
21 Apr. 2026
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The cast is a murderers row of British actors, and the twisting plot of the novel is full of introspection and doubt, which makes for a tight 127 minutes of shocking revelations told through stern and troubled looks.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Using information about a silver Volkswagen Jetta that police say was seen leaving the first crime scene, Georgia State Patrol troopers took Abel into custody during a traffic stop in Troup County.—
Dan Raby,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Only a few hundred of the silver color-way, on display in the showroom, were produced.—
Samantha Lee
Connect
April 17,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Ganesh’s exit from the show was announced earlier this month, sparking a fierce wave of pushback from fans of the HBO show.—
Tribune News Service,
Baltimore Sun,
17 Apr. 2026
-
That sum would amount to more than 10 times what President Obama released to Iran under a 2015 nuclear deal, called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, that was the subject of fierce Republican criticism in the decade since.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The seafarer who spoke to ABC News described a grim scene currently of ships drifting with little direction, and listening on the ship-to-ship communication systems called the VHF line -- accounts of crews growing desperate for basic provisions, and some begging to go home.—
Desiree Adib,
ABC News,
22 Apr. 2026
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Meanwhile, a grim war of attrition continues along the roughly 800-mile front line that snakes along eastern and southern areas of Ukraine.—
Hanna Arhirova,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Netflix’s bracingly nasty action-thriller Apex is a fine addition, plonking the star down in a rugged Australian landscape and throwing nature’s formidable might at her while stirring a psychotic serial killer into the mix.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Apr. 2026
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For Grylls, however, the attire is a uniform for a job that bridges the gap between A-list glamour and rugged human experience.—
Khloe Quill,
FOXNews.com,
21 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The presence of guns and military personnel could create an intimidating atmosphere during elections, Chatterjay said.—
Gary Fields,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Apr. 2026
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Ted Danson recalled an intimidating first encounter with former President Bill Clinton and his Secret Service detail during an early date with his now-wife, Mary Steenburgen.—
Antonio Ferme,
Variety,
19 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Steely.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/steely. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
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