STERNLY Synonyms: 62 Similar and Opposite Words

sternly

adverb

Definition of sternly

as in harshly

in a manner so as to cause loss or suffering sternly reprimanded the prosecuting attorney for making comments that never should have been heard by the jury

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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Recent Examples of sternly Colombia manager Hernan Dario Gomez had sternly instructed Sanchez to play clean and to avoid a potential red card. — Felipe Cardenas, New York Times, 7 July 2026 That church, by the way, is of the sternly Evangelical variety, and the Gheorghius take it very seriously indeed. — Guy Lodge, Variety, 18 May 2026 Did DeSantis call Uthmeier on the carpet and sternly instruct him to follow the law? — Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Mar. 2026 After sternly addressing the company executives who put the city through a year-long court battle, the Leavenworth Planning Commission on Monday evening voted 5-1 to recommend granting CoreCivic’s zoning application to operate for at least three years. — Matthew Kelly february 3, Kansas City Star, 3 Feb. 2026 The lawsuit comes days after Austin voters sternly rejected a 20% property tax increase as the city struggles to overcome a budget deficit. — Dante Motley, Austin American Statesman, 6 Nov. 2025 This folly—which Iran has sternly warned against—is immoral, unjustified, and unlawful. — Amira El-Fekki‎, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Sep. 2025 Sulmona gave the Catholic world a pope, Innocent VII in the 15th century, but Piazza XX Settembre is the location of Sulmona’s foremost historical figure, the greatest of all Roman poets, Ovid, whose bronze statue stands sternly atop a pedestal. — John Mariani, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sternly

Adverb

And violations of public trust are typically judged quite harshly.

— Roger J. Kreuz, The Conversation, 21 Aug. 2026
Tariff Refunds Spark Political Debate Democratic lawmakers have harshly criticized corporations receiving millions in tariff refunds without passing those benefits on to consumers.

— Alison Durkee, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of harshly

Adverb

But several of those affiliates have severely curtailed their operations since the federal funding was paused.

— CBS News, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026
Prior to those deaths, the US had not seen a measles death since 2015, when a woman with underlying conditions became severely ill.

— Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of severely

Adverb

After a bit of a reprieve from an oppressively hot summer, another heat wave is set to scorch Southern California this week.

— Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 17 Aug. 2026
Survey respondents said their dwellings stayed oppressively hot even at night because overcrowding and poor construction trapped the heat.

— Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 24 July 2026