as in stout
being compact and broad in build and often short in stature
a short, thickset bulldog
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of thickset
The passenger door opened and a thickset man with a short beard and mustache got out.
—
Jamie Quatro, Harper's Magazine, 2 Aug. 2024
There’s a thickset dashboard dotted with prominent air vents and a thick, smooth center section that connects the door panels.
—Andrew Wendler, Car and Driver, 8 Aug. 2023
And, with two big interior pockets, protective metal feet, and thickset handles, your luggage can accommodate everything this lifestyle entails.
—Irene Richardson, Travel + Leisure, 8 Mar. 2023
The thickset prison administrator, known as Bawar to his friends, had been keenly aware that the prison was vulnerable to assault.
—Washington Post, 5 Feb. 2022
The hotel's two restaurants, an offshoot of the Beefbar, and Biancaneve, are awash with more banquettes upholstered in colorful cozy fabrics arranged around thickset wood tables, a nod to the hotel's Alpine location.
—Rooksana Hossenally, Forbes, 31 Jan. 2022
Julia's grandmother Zora was short and thickset and typical of the women of her generation in that her days consisted of brief breaks between cooking and cleaning—if not grocery shopping or preparing a meal, she could be found scrubbing the Khrushchyovka apartment with great fa- naticism.
—Ew Staff, EW.com, 4 May 2021
The lecturer, a short, thickset man with a ruddy face and a big voice, was coming to the end of his talk.
—Joseph Loconte, National Review, 31 Aug. 2019
Jamie Quatro, Harper's Magazine, 2 Aug. 2024
There’s a thickset dashboard dotted with prominent air vents and a thick, smooth center section that connects the door panels.
—Andrew Wendler, Car and Driver, 8 Aug. 2023
And, with two big interior pockets, protective metal feet, and thickset handles, your luggage can accommodate everything this lifestyle entails.
—Irene Richardson, Travel + Leisure, 8 Mar. 2023
The thickset prison administrator, known as Bawar to his friends, had been keenly aware that the prison was vulnerable to assault.
—Washington Post, 5 Feb. 2022
The hotel's two restaurants, an offshoot of the Beefbar, and Biancaneve, are awash with more banquettes upholstered in colorful cozy fabrics arranged around thickset wood tables, a nod to the hotel's Alpine location.
—Rooksana Hossenally, Forbes, 31 Jan. 2022
Julia's grandmother Zora was short and thickset and typical of the women of her generation in that her days consisted of brief breaks between cooking and cleaning—if not grocery shopping or preparing a meal, she could be found scrubbing the Khrushchyovka apartment with great fa- naticism.
—Ew Staff, EW.com, 4 May 2021
The lecturer, a short, thickset man with a ruddy face and a big voice, was coming to the end of his talk.
—Joseph Loconte, National Review, 31 Aug. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for thickset
Adjective
-
Any question which of those teams has a stout and sturdy offensive line?—
Mirjam Swanson,
Oc Register,
20 Oct. 2025
-
Uwazurike has played 37% of Denver’s defensive snaps so far, has been stout against the run, and now has logged sacks in back-to-back games.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
It was bred from the American pit bull terrier and several bulldog breeds—including the English bulldog and American bulldog—to create a strong, stocky dog with a gentler temperament than traditional pit bulls.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Oct. 2025
-
However, Schwarber looks like a player right out of the old school with his stocky build.—
John Perrotto,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Healthy roots are plump and silvery, white, or green in color.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
19 Oct. 2025
-
Ten years and innumerable pounds of corn later, Laws Whiskey House still uses the plump and sweet grain from Burlington.—
Tiney Ricciardi,
Denver Post,
14 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Any question which of those teams has a stout and sturdy offensive line?—
Mirjam Swanson,
Oc Register,
20 Oct. 2025
-
If possible, drive to a nearby sturdy building.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
20 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Their style of pitching — relentlessly pound the strike zone — works well in a ballpark where the thick air depresses doubles and triples.—
Tyler Kepner,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Let cool and spread a layer, about one-fourth-inch thick, of cream cheese icing over the entire cake.—
Kathryn Gregory,
Louisville Courier Journal,
15 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Some idea of what might happen can be gleaned from the experience that the heavyset Scotsman Colin Montgomerie had with Bostonians at the 1999 Ryder Cup, in Brookline, Massachusetts.—
Sally Jenkins,
The Atlantic,
26 Sep. 2025
-
For those of us who are still tall (but not NBA tall) and broad or heavyset, the E-Win Flash XL should do the the trick nicely.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Thickset.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thickset. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share