as in sulkiness
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Recent Examples of surliness
Dani’s surliness has evaporated.
—
David Wingrave, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
The Dolphins knew in the spring that Jalen Ramsey’s tardiness and surliness did not fit the culture that the organization wanted to build.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 6 Sep. 2025
But at least Chalamet doesn’t try to soft pedal Dylan’s surliness and careerism, and his vocal re-creations are mostly spot on.
—Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor, 27 Feb. 2025
David Wingrave, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
The Dolphins knew in the spring that Jalen Ramsey’s tardiness and surliness did not fit the culture that the organization wanted to build.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 6 Sep. 2025
But at least Chalamet doesn’t try to soft pedal Dylan’s surliness and careerism, and his vocal re-creations are mostly spot on.
—Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor, 27 Feb. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for surliness
Noun
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Newcastle just about hauled themselves back from the precipice, but this has been a faith-shaker of a season and, at times, grumpiness has set in.—
George Caulkin,
New York Times,
25 May 2026
Noun
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In fact, Mount’s petulance was a way to distract the referee from Fernandes’s antics and take a late yellow card on his captain’s behalf.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
26 May 2026
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Trump’s petulance, meanness, and willingness to punish a religious institution for its Church’s moral witness is a warning to every faith community in America.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
19 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Vince Gilligan moved to Apple and returned to his X-Files roots for the sci-fi horror dramatic comedy Pluribus, which used its ultra-mysterious and yet ultra-familiar genre trappings for a droll meditation on the eternal clash between collective joy and individual grouchiness.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
17 Nov. 2025
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Emily is also struggling with Annabelle, who has inherited her mom’s attitude and the grouchiness of any adolescent forced to grow up with an Evolution Media camera crew in her home.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Clutter has been linked to higher stress levels, lower focus, and feelings of tension or irritability, whereas clean and organized spaces are associated with calmness, a sense of control, and even better physical health.—
Elizabeth Fogarty,
Better Homes & Gardens,
5 June 2026
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This is also one of the reasons why chronically high cortisol is associated with anxiety, irritability and trouble focusing.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
30 May 2026
Noun
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Poor sleep leads to more than just crankiness A cranky kid after a bad night’s sleep is bad enough.—
Avery Newmark,
AJC.com,
10 Mar. 2026
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And remember, most Californians are running on an hour less sleep today, so drive a little slower and blame your crankiness on the time change.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The Warriors trailed by 11 points after a first quarter notable mostly for some late Golden State testiness.—
Ron Kroichick,
San Francisco Chronicle,
2 Jan. 2026
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Corbett said the testiness started in Florida and returned with the team to Charlotte.—
Joseph Person,
New York Times,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Officers in Texas displayed startling belligerence at times, grabbing or tackling students a fraction of their size over misconduct that often appeared to be minor.—
Clare Amari,
New York Times,
27 May 2026
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On the Season 44 premiere in September 2018, Damon parodied Kavanaugh’s Senate testimony, depicting his belligerence and frequently yelling, referencing beer, among other things — using many of the actual quotes from the hearing.—
Michael Schneider,
Variety,
10 May 2026
Noun
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There’s probably not much of a mystery bubbling around the pizza plaza’s sudden crustiness toward the Super Bowl.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
30 Jan. 2026
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Use disposable products like gauze or cotton swabs to gently remove build-up or crustiness.—
Sherri Gordon,
Health,
24 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Surliness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/surliness. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
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