1
as in harshly
in a manner so as to cause loss or suffering
stiffly criticized for making such indiscreet comments in public
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in strongly
in a vigorous and forceful manner
a stiffly fought battle
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stiffly
Adverb
-
The peak came as the Great Recession, touched off by a housing and financial crisis, rippled harshly through the global economy.—
Kenneth R. Gosselin,
Hartford Courant,
14 June 2026 -
Political dissent can be harshly policed outside the stadium, but domestic clubs’ most ardent fan groups, often called ultras, are brazenly outspoken in their cheering.—
Dan Greene,
New Yorker,
12 June 2026
Adverb
-
New Gallup analysis of a 2025 study with the Kettering Foundation found that, among those who listen to influencers on the left, like Hasan Piker, 71% strongly back the right to peacefully protest, compared with 49% of Democrats overall.—
Morgan Chalfant,
semafor.com,
16 June 2026
-
Yet the Iranians also overcame two deficits in an exciting match, getting the tying goal from Mohammad Mohebi in the 64th minute before a strongly pro-Iranian crowd at SoFi Stadium near Los Angeles, which has the world's largest population of Iranians outside Iran.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
16 June 2026
Adverb
-
Few sites, however, became such frequent battlegrounds as the parking lots of Home Depots, where day laborers congregate, or were hit as persistently and severely as the open air car washes that dot sunny Southern California.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
14 June 2026
-
If rain severely impairs your vision, pull over and wait for conditions to improve.—
Bay Area Weather Report,
Mercury News,
13 June 2026
Adverb
-
At next week’s meeting, Kevin Warsh must vigorously attack this misbegotten idea, the Phillips Curve.—
Steve Forbes,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
-
Every Three Years To keep the plant growing vigorously, Trinklein recommends dividing it every three years to encourage strong growth and reblooming.—
Rachel Silva,
Martha Stewart,
11 June 2026
Adverb
-
Fortunately, this spell of hot temps will be a generally drier heat — not necessarily oppressively humid like is typical for New England.—
Rick Sobey,
Boston Herald,
19 May 2026
-
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
Adverb
-
However, some analysts suspect the bombing was the work of Uyghur separatists angry that Thailand had forcibly repatriated scores of Uyghurs to China in July 2015.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 June 2026
-
To its right is a watercolor painting of the Gila River War Relocation Center in Arizona, where many members of the family were forcibly transported to and imprisoned during World War II.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 June 2026
Adverb
-
The second is silent, perhaps buried in papers, perhaps with their head firmly implanted in the sand.—
Samantha Gloede,
Fortune,
19 June 2026
-
Australian defender Cameron Burgess couldn’t get out of the way and the ball was firmly knocked into the goal for a 1-0 US lead in the 11th minute.—
David Close,
CNN Money,
19 June 2026
Adverb
-
Seksan Mongkhonkhamsao/Getty Images Few assets are protected as fiercely as a retirement account.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
15 June 2026
-
Having introduced that fiercely luminous piece in 2023, Dudamel brought it back in March, placing it on the second half of a concert that began with Beethoven’s Seventh.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
15 June 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Stiffly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stiffly. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
