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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of steely
His former manager at Leicester, Brendan Rodgers, is now coaching in Saudi Arabia — not that the lad sharpened by a steely upbringing near Sheffield is an obvious fit to finish his career too far from home.
—
Andy Mitten, New York Times, 28 Jan. 2026
Dawson's steely resolve helps anchor the series, with strong support from Natasha Liu Bordizzo as Ahsoka's reckless former apprentice Sabine and Mary Elizabeth Winstead as General Hera Syndulla.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Jan. 2026
And her co-stars—Jacob Elordi as a brooding Heathcliff, Alison Oliver as an angelic Isabella Linton, Hong Chau as a steely Nelly Dean, and Shazad Latif as a swaggering Edgar Linton—would also be subverting our expectations.
—Radhika Seth, Vogue, 10 Jan. 2026
His steely eyes, formerly clear as split glass, turned lake-like, opaque.
—Literary Hub, 5 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for steely
Andy Mitten, New York Times, 28 Jan. 2026
Dawson's steely resolve helps anchor the series, with strong support from Natasha Liu Bordizzo as Ahsoka's reckless former apprentice Sabine and Mary Elizabeth Winstead as General Hera Syndulla.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Jan. 2026
And her co-stars—Jacob Elordi as a brooding Heathcliff, Alison Oliver as an angelic Isabella Linton, Hong Chau as a steely Nelly Dean, and Shazad Latif as a swaggering Edgar Linton—would also be subverting our expectations.
—Radhika Seth, Vogue, 10 Jan. 2026
His steely eyes, formerly clear as split glass, turned lake-like, opaque.
—Literary Hub, 5 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for steely
Recent Examples of Synonyms for steely
Adjective
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The characters are well developed and unpredictable—perhaps none more so than John Stone, Nasir’s gruff public-defense attorney.—
Stephanie Bai,
The Atlantic,
8 Feb. 2026
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Also present was the gruff playwright.—
Classical Music Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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For those gray, dreary Berlin February days, the Berlinale this year is offering a colorful fever dream of a cinematic antidote courtesy of Pakistan.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Feb. 2026
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Nearly every color is on sale, including this neutral charcoal gray hue that’s just $25.—
Caley Sturgill,
Southern Living,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The captain ultimately ordered lifeboats lowered, and the ship went down stern first.—
Anders Hagstrom,
FOXNews.com,
16 Feb. 2026
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Perhaps the solution is as simple as Miss Manners issuing a polite, but stern, PSA or a witty bon mot discouraging this practice.—
Judith Martin,
Sun Sentinel,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Glenn, who became the first woman since Kwan to win three consecutive national titles, will come in as the heavy favorite but Liu, the only member of the team with Olympic experience, and the 18-year-old Levito, a silver medalist at worlds, could deliver just as easily.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
16 Feb. 2026
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His silver hair is perfectly kept; his white shoes and watch are mint clean.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
15 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Some of the fiercest storms in the South were reported near Lake Charles, Louisiana, where high winds from a thunderstorm overturned a horse trailer and a Mardi Gras float, damaged an airport jet bridge and flung the metal awning from a house into power lines.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
15 Feb. 2026
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There’s Manny, Zitzs and EZ, who has a way with the girls; Izzy, an abused boy who hides his family’s secrets, and Gloria, as good at sports as the boys and so fierce nobody teases her little sister about her stutter.—
Mary Ann Grossmann,
Twin Cities,
15 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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One skier is still missing and presumed dead, Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon said at a grim news conference.—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN Money,
19 Feb. 2026
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And yet the grim scenes had actually started with a gorgeous goal from the Brazilian, jinking inside and finding the far corner with unimaginable ease (below).—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
18 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The group was returning to the trailhead at the end of its three-day excursion when the deadly incident occurred in rugged, ungroomed terrain near the Pacific Crest Trail.—
Darrell Smith,
Sacbee.com,
19 Feb. 2026
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On land, day hikers and rugged overnight campers take in colorful endemic birds, island foxes, and a striking landscape.—
Lydia Price,
Travel + Leisure,
19 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Cords are also a little intimidating because there are so many kinds, and tossing the wrong one could cost you.—
Mary Cornetta,
Better Homes & Gardens,
15 Feb. 2026
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Gibson’s simple sorting method also made the process less intimidating.—
Staff Author,
Southern Living,
14 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Steely.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/steely. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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