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
  • 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
  • For the record, Duffy has strongly disclaimed any interest in the White House, which is, after all, just a bunch of boring grownups talking.
    — Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 23 Aug. 2026
  • While Mundo Deportivo later reported Balde was motivated to fight for his place, his omission from the squad now strongly indicates an exit.
    — Tom Sanderson, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of strongly
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
  • Whisk vigorously until the mixture is smooth and resembles a caramel sauce.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 Aug. 2026
  • First, the safeguards and rules of any legislation governing college athletics must be vigorously enforceable.
    — U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Hartford Courant, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of vigorously
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
Definition of oppressively
Adverb
  • Only when war between the United States and Japan broke out the next year were Japanese schools in Hawaii forcibly closed.
    — H.M.A. Leow, JSTOR Daily, 21 Aug. 2026
  • The orders have been a recurring flashpoint in these deals, with legal complaints alleging officials in Equatorial Guinea and Ghana forcibly sent third-country deportees to their home nations in violation of the orders.
    — Adrian Elimian, semafor.com, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of forcibly
Adverb
  • How often do coaches who are firmly on the hot seat actually have a bounce-back season to save their jobs?
    — Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Now Norvell enters 2026 firmly on the hot seat, entrusting his future to another transfer quarterback.
    — Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of firmly
Adverb
  • Reductions Many of the valuation cuts were fiercely opposed by Fritz Kaegi, the outgoing Cook County assessor.
    — Alex Nitkin, Chicago Tribune, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Emmy voters are not a sentimental bunch, and the categories are stacked and fiercely competitive.
    — Clayton Davis, Variety, 21 Aug. 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 29 Aug. 2026.

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