sterling

adjective

Definition of sterlingnext
as in excellent
of the very best kind credited the win to the pitcher's sterling performance on the mound

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of sterling Trout and Neto reached out to an unnamed Rams player on Tuesday to gather intel on their new owner, who has a sterling reputation amongst his NFL peers. — Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026 According to Steven Levy in Wired, the company was funded largely based on the sterling reputation of its founders. — Ryan Whitwam, ArsTechnica, 5 Aug. 2026 By the time a sterling stablecoin issues under the Bank’s rules, users will have had three years of regulated alternatives and the corridors will have chosen their coins. — Zennon Kapron, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026 Nolan’s successful ride with The Odyssey includes sterling reviews, as its 95 percent approval rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes is currently the best tally of his career, just ahead of The Dark Knight and Memento at 94 percent. — Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 18 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for sterling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sterling
  1. excellent
  2. superb
  3. stellar
  4. terrific
  5. wonderful
  6. lovely
  7. great
  8. beautiful
Adjective
  • Williams aims to help build a county government that works for everyday people by lowering the cost of living, delivering excellent county services and protecting fundamental rights.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Nikko Remigio’s reputation as a return man isn’t splashy plays, but rather excellent ball security.
    — Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of excellent
Adjective
  • The 5-foot-10, 165-pound wide receiver also has a superb sense of timing.
    — Patrick Z. McGavin, Chicago Tribune, 17 Oct. 2026
  • These four superb films approach that reality from very different vantage points.
    — David Faris, TheWeek, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of superb
Adjective
  • The Sierra Canyon High alumnus sank three three-pointers in a stellar debut for his hometown team.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The researchers found that the colors of white dwarfs would fit into distinct groups tied to the individual chemical makeup of the stellar remnant's atmosphere.
    — Robert Lea, Space.com, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of stellar
Adjective
  • The special effects team has done terrific work re-creating his body down to the creature’s fringed lashes.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Even detractors say star Tom Rhys Harries is terrific in his major leading role debut, and praise the film’s use of practical effects.
    — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of terrific
Adjective
  • Bruna is fantastic, and Alison is a wonderful producer with a great eye.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 20 Oct. 2026
  • It is carefully crafted and wincingly sincere, a wonderful conversion of inversions.
    — Samuel Hyland, Pitchfork, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of wonderful
Adjective
  • Amenities and experiences The alfresco pool is lovely, but ongoing construction in the area at the moment is a bit of an eyesore.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Maybe the two can take the nips out on a lovely date to the Wicker 4DX screenings later this month.
    — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of lovely
Adjective
  • But this is in fact the opportunity hiding inside the greatest technological acceleration of our lifetimes.
    — Matt Alt, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2026
  • This scandal comes as an appalling blow to the BND, and Germany as a whole, at a time of great danger.
    — The Week UK, TheWeek, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of great
Adjective
  • The Panthers set up 48 yards from pay dirt and then, a handful of plays later, Young placed a beautiful pass into the hands of a wide-open Tommy Tremble for a touchdown — and also placed the nail in the game’s proverbial coffin.
    — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 18 Oct. 2026
  • About half of Faux’s dining room, on my visits, seemed to be occupied by the young and beautiful, perhaps strategizing, over moules bouillabaisse, when to move the party to the bar downstairs.
    — Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of beautiful

Browse Nearby Words

sterilizing
sterling
sterlingness
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sterling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sterling. Accessed 23 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on sterling

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about sterling

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of asunder

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Oct. 23

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All