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
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Recent Examples of sternly
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
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
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Dissent is harshly punished in Iran, as demonstrated earlier this year when the regime killed thousands of protesters who dared to challenge its rule.—
Hilary Whiteman,
CNN Money,
11 Mar. 2026
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Since leaving office, Ahmadinejad has harshly criticized the Iranian government, and as a result, Iran’s Guardian Council has formally excluded him from running for president.—
Graeme Wood,
The Atlantic,
10 Mar. 2026
Adverb
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Israel's Ben Gurion airport has been operating on a severely limited basis throughout the war.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
29 Mar. 2026
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The study examined the high cost across different family structures, highlighting that rising living expenses have severely squeezed the traditional middle-class budget.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
29 Mar. 2026
Adverb
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The first of the four chapters is an oppressively gray-toned, narratively diffuse spy thriller, set amid the mists of what appears to be the Second World War.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
18 Dec. 2025
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The second planet from the sun has a completely inhospitable surface, with temperatures reaching 863 degrees Fahrenheit (462 degrees Celsius) and a crushing pressure underneath an oppressively thick atmosphere.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
1 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sternly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sternly. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
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