as in smug
having too high an opinion of oneself
thought that the kids at his new school were snobbish and stuck-up
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Recent Examples of stuck-up
Maureen Lee Lenker Published, EW.com, 7 July 2025
Greer’s disdainful, stuck-up lines ooze out of Kidman’s mouth.
—Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 25 Sep. 2024
Men fear that stepping outside those norms could lead to teasing, looking unprofessional, or appearing too formal or stuck-up.
—Byeva Roytburg, Fortune, 17 June 2024
During his time at Bushwood Country Club, O’Keefe’s character becomes involved in a rivalry amongst a prominent, stuck-up member of the club – Judge Elihu Smails (played by Ted Knight) – and a boisterous, jokester guest named Al Czervik (played by legendary comedian Rodney Dangerfield).
—Ben Morse, CNN, 29 Mar. 2024
Adjective
The two click, and in episode 3 of the new season, Peggy visits Dr. Kirkland at his home in Newport, meeting his parents, who are extremely stuck-up and look down on Peggy's family's humbler origins.
—Maureen Lee Lenker Published, EW.com, 7 July 2025
Greer’s disdainful, stuck-up lines ooze out of Kidman’s mouth.
—Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 25 Sep. 2024
Men fear that stepping outside those norms could lead to teasing, looking unprofessional, or appearing too formal or stuck-up.
—Byeva Roytburg, Fortune, 17 June 2024
During his time at Bushwood Country Club, O’Keefe’s character becomes involved in a rivalry amongst a prominent, stuck-up member of the club – Judge Elihu Smails (played by Ted Knight) – and a boisterous, jokester guest named Al Czervik (played by legendary comedian Rodney Dangerfield).
—Ben Morse, CNN, 29 Mar. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stuck-up
Adjective
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The test case—picturing a cow doing ballet—produces a smug bovine pirouetting.—
Elise Broach,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
-
My math teachers of old are very smug somewhere.—
Jennifer Maas,
Variety,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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McCoy was once considered a top-10 pick, but the 6-foot, 195-pound corner sustained a torn ACL during offseason workouts in January 2025 that robbed him of his junior season.—
Mike DeFabo,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
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The terrifying story of how Kim Kardashian was robbed at gunpoint during Paris Fashion Week in 2016 is being made into a Canal+ doc series.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The series has devolved into a hysteria that the young and arrogant Timberwolves feed on since that first quarter of Game 2.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
26 Apr. 2026
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However, many thought Tilson Thomas too brash and arrogant to lead an orchestra, and, around the same time, Tilson Thomas fell in with New York’s disco-hopping crowd.—
Jessica Gelt,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Across the stands at Citi Field on Wednesday night, people held up handmade posters calling Juan Soto a savior and pleading for his help.—
Will Sammon,
New York Times,
23 Apr. 2026
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Those companies have held up much better than the pureplay software vendors, mostly due to their central position in the AI boom.—
Lola Murti,
CNBC,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The proud Westeros family of dragonlords have always been intent on making things bend to their (fair-haired, dragon-loving) will, even when the chips were down.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
27 Apr. 2026
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Gordon Ramsay is one proud dad as daughter Tilly Ramsay completes the TCS London Marathon on April 26 in London.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Boerkircher pushed Hunter around for 15 yards before the future Heisman Trophy winner and second overall pick by Jacksonville last year ripped off his helmet.—
Mark Long,
The Orlando Sentinel,
25 Apr. 2026
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Konecny ripped off his helmet and dropped his gloves and beckoned Rust to fight him.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Avoid Burying Praise in Negatives To avoid making children too conceited, parents might bury praise in the midst of negatives.—
Wayne Parker,
Parents,
8 Mar. 2026
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The Pitt definitely feels like the type of workplace where conceited doctors-in-training are pretty much guaranteed to quickly get knocked down a peg.—
Megan McCluskey,
Time,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Though prices have climbed at a fast rate since the war started, there were similar market shocks in 2022 after Russia invaded Ukraine.—
Jack Harvel,
Kansas City Star,
27 Apr. 2026
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Simultaneously, Israel invaded Lebanon in an operation that killed thousands, according to Lebanon’s health ministry, and displaced more than a million people, according to the United Nations.—
Joseph Konig,
PEOPLE,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stuck-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stuck-up. Accessed 29 Apr. 2026.
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