stiffly

adverb

Definition of stifflynext
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

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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
  1. harshly
  2. strongly
  3. severely
  4. vigorously
  5. oppressively
  6. forcibly
  7. firmly
  8. fiercely
Adverb
  • That decision by the president was praised by Putin but criticized harshly by members of Congress, including some Republicans.
    — Jennifer Jacobs, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Stewart was an executive producer of his friend Colbert’s show and harshly criticized the cancellation, rejecting Paramount’s financial justification and accusing the company of bending the knee to the president.
    — Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of harshly
Adverb
  • The final agreement did not include changes to that practice and was ultimately not voted on by the Legislature after the last-minute deal was strongly criticized, particularly by assembly members.
    — Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Netflix strongly encourages employees to take a portion of their pay in the form of equity, but with shares down more than 45 percent from a year ago employees who have done so are feeling the pain.
    — Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of strongly
Adverb
  • Many of the children's bodies were severely decomposed, with only 26 able to be identified, and investigations into the other deaths are ongoing.
    — Jefferson Kahinju Reuters, Arkansas Online, 20 Oct. 2026
  • At least one case of congenital measles led to a death; the first death reported in the current outbreak was in a newborn baby boy, who died immediately after birth while his mother was severely ill with measles.
    — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of severely
Adverb
  • The president has continued to vigorously back Paxton throughout the general election, making several trips to Texas to campaign for him.
    — Caroline Linton, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026
  • His critics interpreted it as endorsing the massacre of Israeli civilians, though Abu Shehadeh and others vigorously denied that claim.
    — Tamir Sorek, The Conversation, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of vigorously
Adverb
  • The summer had seen Europe endure an oppressively dry, hot summer, which had seen wildfires spring up across the continent.
    — Anthony Wood, Space.com, 26 Aug. 2026
  • 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
Definition of oppressively
Adverb
  • There was also significant vandalism to the school's library, with books, furniture, and electronic equipment destroyed and a door forcibly opened.
    — Carlos E. Castañeda, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The Houthis had also been forcibly recruiting large numbers of children and Ethiopian migrants, using them as human shields, spies and for dangerous mine-planting.
    — Harriet Marsden, TheWeek, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of forcibly
Adverb
  • Shares were last seen down 14%, sitting firmly at the bottom of the Stoxx 600 index.
    — Elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 21 Oct. 2026
  • In this 1966 photo of the musician and his instrument, with glam rock still in the future, one of its superstars is still firmly surrounded by mod, mid-1960s fixtures including his skinny tie and massive ashtray.
    — Eleni N. Gage, Architectural Digest, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of firmly
Adverb
  • In some ways, the engagement may seem like a departure from Disney’s reputation for being fiercely protective of its brand.
    — Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026
  • The sell-side tug of war Despite the dire credit picture, equity sentiment remains fiercely divided, driving this week's 17% bounce from the lows.
    — Michael Khouw, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of fiercely
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.

Browse Nearby Words

stiffing
stiffly
stiff-necked
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Cite this Entry

“Stiffly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stiffly. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

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