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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But that poem is no smug cliché.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
8 Jan. 2026
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Marcello is looking especially smug and evil in this scene for reasons unclear.—
Jessica M. Goldstein,
Vulture,
19 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Thirty-six years later, I'm being robbed of my father, the man that was there for all of those milestones.—
Sarah Prior,
CBS News,
25 Jan. 2026
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That decision robbed them of valuable reconnaissance on their actual ski line.—
Frederick Dreier,
Outside,
23 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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In the early years of his fame as a writer, Rushdie had something of a reputation for being prickly and arrogant, but Gibney’s portrait reveals a man mellowed by time and experience.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
25 Jan. 2026
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Spock is this brilliant, arrogant, aloof-to-the-point-of-obnoxiousness genius.—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
18 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Specifically, on average, silky sharks spent only about 47 percent of their time inside the Galápagos Marine Reserve, an area often held up as a global gold standard for marine protection.—
Melissa Cristina Márquez,
Forbes.com,
21 Jan. 2026
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The case was held up by top Department of Homeland Security officials as an example of the violence and threats immigration agents were facing from gang members and even international drug cartels.—
Jason Meisner,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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But the reaction is just as vast, and even more persistent, Angela was proud to tell me about Moon Palace’s place as a node in a larger community network.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Jan. 2026
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Now 32, the Canadian is the proud owner of 25 X Games medals, including 14 gold total and eight in the slopestyle discipline.—
Michelle Bruton,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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On May 7, 1955, two members of the local White Citizens’ Council shot into the cab of Reverend George Lee’s car; the bullets ripped off the lower half of his face.—
Clint Smith,
The Atlantic,
19 Jan. 2026
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The Heat ripped off a 15-0 run after Hauser’s early buckets and built an early 28-9 lead, triggering two Mazzulla timeouts and a series of Celtics substitutions.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
16 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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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
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But Grande’s conceited blonde bubblehead gains in stature here as Glinda assumes statesmanlike responsibility to spread goodness in Oz, while experiencing crushing romantic disappointment that humbles her and deflates her vanity.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
18 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Nearly four years later, Russian forces continue to grind along the front lines achieving incremental territorial gains at an extremely high cost, while Ukraine has managed to retake vast areas that Moscow initially invaded.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
26 Jan. 2026
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Pastor says protesters invaded church A Minnesota church targeted by an anti-ICE protest Sunday decried it as unlawful, while one of the protest leaders called for the resignation of a church leader who works at a local ICE office.—
Alanna Durkin Richer,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stuck-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stuck-up. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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