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
-
In a follow-up study, highly attractive female fitness influencers faced stronger backlash than equally attractive men, perhaps reflecting a broader social tendency to judge women’s looks more harshly.—
Abby Frank,
The Conversation,
5 Nov. 2025 -
The Next Gen Stats model graded the decision even more harshly, a 7% dip in win probability.—
Sam McDowell
November 4,
Kansas City Star,
4 Nov. 2025
Adverb
-
Spacetime may be more strongly curved inside of a black hole’s event horizon, but anything that happens in there can’t get out; nothing can escape a black hole’s interior, even at the speed of light.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Picking up on these threads, the third week’s installments show that even when the current is pulling too strongly, there’s still a choice to make.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
7 Nov. 2025
Adverb
-
In August, a group of Palestinian children who had been severely injured in the war in Gaza arrived in San Francisco after the State Department issued around two hundred temporary visas for medical treatment.—
Antonia Hitchens,
New Yorker,
10 Nov. 2025
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The administration has slashed funding for federal and university research and severely restricted visas for foreign scientists and technologists.—
LAEL BRAINARD,
Foreign Affairs,
10 Nov. 2025
Adverb
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Start the process by vigorously shaking or hanging then pounding the rug to remove loose dirt, crumbs, and other particles, then vacuum it thoroughly on both sides, using a canister vacuum with the hose or a high pile setting—and no beater bar!—
Jennifer Beck Goldblatt,
Architectural Digest,
31 Oct. 2025
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With the Tegna deal pending, Nexstar’s decision was seen as an attempt to get in the good graces of FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, who had vigorously criticized Kimmel’s remarks and suggested local TV stations could lose their broadcast licenses if Kimmel were not taken off the air.—
Todd Spangler,
Variety,
30 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
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
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On an oppressively hot Friday in July, plumes of smoke curl up from Arnolds Field.—
Laura Paddison,
CNN Money,
15 Aug. 2025
Adverb
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An ever-adapting fusion of flesh and technology, the Borg are a hostile force that seeks not just to eradicate humanity, but to enslave it, forcibly eradicating the sense of self and folding its victims into a homogenous hive mind.—
Alan Bradley,
Space.com,
8 Nov. 2025
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Police said the group of seven juveniles and two 18-year-olds first hit Monterey Trail High School in the 8600 block of Power Inn Road, forcibly taking jewelry from at least one person before fleeing the campus.—
Darrell Smith,
Sacbee.com,
7 Nov. 2025
Adverb
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How to Watch Ole Miss vs The Citadel The Rebels arrive Saturday afternoon in Oxford, sitting at 8-1, fresh off a convincing 30-14 win and firmly in the top-10 national picture heading into the final stretch of the season.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Nov. 2025
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The film is set firmly during the Crimean War in the 1850s.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
8 Nov. 2025
Adverb
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In this social setting, they would be called tomboys, who fight like boys and are fiercely independent.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
9 Nov. 2025
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You'd be forgiven for being a little sick of A Christmas Story, Bob Clark's beloved tale about 9-year-old Ralphie (Peter Billingsley) and the Red Ryder carbine-action 200-shot range model air rifle he so fiercely desires.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 Nov. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Stiffly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stiffly. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.
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