variants
also stoney
as in stern
having or showing a lack of sympathy or tender feelings
the judge's stony demeanor didn't raise the defendant's hopes for a more lenient sentence
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of stony
This stony assassin may well be orbiting the sun at this very moment, careening down a celestial path that could, one day, intersect with ours.
—
Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2025
Sifting through the stony dirt of southern Italy, a team of archaeologists expected to find some ancient Roman ruins, but the 1,700-year-old burial ground that reemerged hid a few surprises.
—Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 24 Mar. 2025
Romer may one day look up at the stony faces of Daniel Boone or Betsy Ross in their patriotic splendor and decide that her sacrifice was worth it.
—Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 15 Apr. 2025
Then stony coral tissue loss disease arrived in 2014, decimating corals in a deadly wave along Florida's reefs.
—Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA TODAY, 24 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for stony
Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2025
Sifting through the stony dirt of southern Italy, a team of archaeologists expected to find some ancient Roman ruins, but the 1,700-year-old burial ground that reemerged hid a few surprises.
—Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 24 Mar. 2025
Romer may one day look up at the stony faces of Daniel Boone or Betsy Ross in their patriotic splendor and decide that her sacrifice was worth it.
—Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 15 Apr. 2025
Then stony coral tissue loss disease arrived in 2014, decimating corals in a deadly wave along Florida's reefs.
—Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA TODAY, 24 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for stony
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stony
Adjective
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The Raid 2, for instance, a two and a half hour crime and punishment epic, boils down to one man’s struggle to win the approval of his stern father; whether this is significant to Evans’ life or not, the motif nonetheless transitions cleanly into Havoc.—
Andy Crump,
Time,
26 Apr. 2025
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The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) has issued a stern warning about a predatory fish that can grow up to 3 feet long, slither across land and breathe air.—
Ingrid Vasquez,
People.com,
24 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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His grim work handling dead sheep gives the movie its title, but little time is actually spent at Stan’s job.—
Tim Grierson,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Apr. 2025
-
Set in a grim, unnamed American city, Havoc follows a bruised detective, played by Hardy, who must fight his way through a criminal underworld to rescue a politician's estranged son, all while unraveling the deep layers of corruption.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
There is the ruthless spymaster Luthen Rael (Stellan Skarsgård) and his mysterious assistant Kleya (Elizabeth Dulau).—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
21 Apr. 2025
-
O’Neil had shown a more ruthless streak in dealing with Lemina, stripping the midfielder of the captaincy after those embarrassing post-match scenes at West Ham.—
Steve Madeley,
New York Times,
21 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Vietnamese refugees who got a warm welcome from America puzzle at family separations, harsh rhetoric In Vietnam, Lam had owned three companies.—
Anh Do,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2025
-
President Donald Trump has launched harsh immigration actions in his first 100 days in office—detaining more people for immigration violations, allowing arrests outside schools and courthouses, and sending more than 200 Venezuelan men to be imprisoned in El Salvador.—
Brian Bennett,
Time,
29 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Whatever regime emerges could well be even more radical and obdurate.—
Bloomberg Opinion,
Twin Cities,
8 Feb. 2025
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Nevertheless, Biden’s obdurate unwillingness to step aside for younger, more plausible Democratic candidates resulted in the reëmergence of his nemesis.—
David Remnick,
The New Yorker,
12 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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And to think, this pitiless conquistador came to North America as a humble kitchen herb, deliberately imported by European settlers for its piquant flavor.—
Zoë Lescaze,
New York Times,
13 Apr. 2025
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Palomas are sweet and tart and bright and preternaturally refreshing, a worthy match for the pitiless heat of the Mexican summer, and deployed in great numbers whenever a little reprieve is in order.—
Jeremy Repanich,
Robb Report,
11 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
In Season 4 of the Max comedy (streaming weekly on Thursdays), Deborah (Jean Smart) is struggling to find her ground amid a merciless feud with head writer Ava (Hannah Einbinder).—
Erin Jensen,
USA Today,
3 May 2025
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The math of those slices off the point totals was merciless: Should a big prep draw a field of less than five, a 50-point second place was reduced to a 25-point place showing, which can mean the difference between getting a stall in the Churchill gate and not getting to race.—
Guy Martin,
Forbes.com,
30 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
There’s symbolism there—all that tough, hard-to-crack shell hiding a shining pearl—that lends itself well to a tattoo.—
Leah Prinzivalli,
Allure,
28 Apr. 2025
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Employees have a tough time trusting a leader whose actions do not follow their words.—
Mona Andrews,
Forbes.com,
28 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stony.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stony. Accessed 5 May. 2025.
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