variants
also stoney
as in ruthless
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
In a vast stony tract of desert a three-hour drive south of Cairo, tucked between jagged black mountains and the glittering Gulf of Suez, a group of Chinese engineers is quietly rewiring Egypt’s energy strategy.
—
Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 14 Apr. 2026
Hikers can traverse the stony beds of Cliffy Creek and snap photos of the park's four iconic waterfalls.
—Joie Probst, Midwest Living, 10 Apr. 2026
In June, after Deschamps invited the squad to applaud the PSG players who had just won 5-0 against Inter in the Champions League final, Mbappe struggled to contain his amusement at the stony expression worn by Thuram, who had been on the losing side that night.
—Tom Williams, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2026
High Street began to slope upward, and the terrain became stonier around the sides of the road as Revere and his horse, Brown Beauty, ascended Rock Hill.
—Kostya Kennedy, Time, 16 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stony
Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 14 Apr. 2026
Hikers can traverse the stony beds of Cliffy Creek and snap photos of the park's four iconic waterfalls.
—Joie Probst, Midwest Living, 10 Apr. 2026
In June, after Deschamps invited the squad to applaud the PSG players who had just won 5-0 against Inter in the Champions League final, Mbappe struggled to contain his amusement at the stony expression worn by Thuram, who had been on the losing side that night.
—Tom Williams, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2026
High Street began to slope upward, and the terrain became stonier around the sides of the road as Revere and his horse, Brown Beauty, ascended Rock Hill.
—Kostya Kennedy, Time, 16 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stony
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stony
Adjective
-
The role of Chris Partlow, Marlo Stanfield's top lieutenant and ruthless hitman, was the first screen credit for Gbenga Akinnagbe.—
Derek Lawrence,
Entertainment Weekly,
2 June 2026
-
Lexi is adrift in the ruthless world of Hollywood.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
2 June 2026
Adjective
-
Having catalogued the Black Death’s horrifying effects, Ibn Khatima went on to outline a series of preventative measures and active treatments designed to combat this merciless scourge.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 May 2026
-
The jokes on social media will be endless, and opposing fans will be merciless.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
20 May 2026
Adjective
-
Getting warships into the water is hard enough without wasting funds on vessels unlikely ever to sail.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
30 May 2026
-
Hulst setting a hard pace from the gun with Serna trying to hold on long enough to outkick him in the end.—
Scott M. Reid,
Oc Register,
30 May 2026
Adjective
-
The flap has also brought harsh criticism from prominent people in Miami, including former Democratic congressman Joe Garcia.—
Douglas Hanks,
Miami Herald,
4 June 2026
-
Without excessive optimism, in a world that is becoming harsher, the Festival, on the contrary, is opening up and improving.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
4 June 2026
Adjective
-
Possibly this was the case at élite law schools in the nineteen-nineties, where even the most obdurate deans could not afford to ignore their militant students indefinitely.—
Kelefa Sanneh,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
Iran, with its massive military capabilities, its oil wealth, its appetite for regional hegemony and its obdurate Islamism may have been the foremost obstacle to Israel’s integration into the region since 1979.—
Ron Kampeas,
Sun Sentinel,
2 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stony.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stony. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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