as in stout
being compact and broad in build and often short in stature
a short, thickset bulldog
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Recent Examples of thickset
As the Presidential election approached, Kabila was increasingly unpopular, and a viable opponent was found: Félix Tshisekedi, a thickset, pugnacious man who was the son of a prominent opposition leader.
—
Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025
Even though thickset Mandarin characters on every wall extolled the virtues of the Chinese Dream, Xi Jinping's campaign to rejuvenate Chinese nationalism, the town had a frontier feel, as if Beijing's hawkeyed gaze hadn't yet crept over the moonscape mountains.
—Chris Schalkx, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Feb. 2025
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
Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025
Even though thickset Mandarin characters on every wall extolled the virtues of the Chinese Dream, Xi Jinping's campaign to rejuvenate Chinese nationalism, the town had a frontier feel, as if Beijing's hawkeyed gaze hadn't yet crept over the moonscape mountains.
—Chris Schalkx, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Feb. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for thickset
Adjective
-
Dartmouth would only score one goal for the remainder of the game, but was able to keep the Bishops at bay with stout defense and excellent goaltending from junior Letty Nelson.—
Zach McMahon,
Boston Herald,
27 May 2026
-
Without Makar, Colorado struggled in all three zones against the Golden Knights’ stout team defense in the first two games of the series.—
Jesse Granger,
New York Times,
24 May 2026
Adjective
-
Their stocky bodies sit low to the ground, and their limbs are muscular.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
-
The adults are about 5 to 10 pounds with stocky, thick bodies, short ears, short legs, and a bushy tail.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
23 May 2026
Adjective
-
At Pan Asian restaurant Oriental, the lobster comes to the beachside tables looking like plump scoops of ice cream, and is best ordered alongside the black pepper wagyu beef.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
1 June 2026
-
Look for cherries that are bright, plump and firm.—
Cathy Thomas,
Oc Register,
1 June 2026
Adjective
-
Be sure to cover your head and neck with your arms, and crawl under a sturdy table if possible.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
29 May 2026
-
Tutt and his teams have worked on engineering designs to safely drop anything needing a sturdy parachute — including the Orion capsule that splashed down last month off the coast of San Diego after its 477,710-mile journey to the moon and back.—
Pat Maio,
Oc Register,
29 May 2026
Adjective
-
Unlike thick denim, these pants have a summer-friendly fabric, so your legs can breathe instead of developing pools of sweat.—
Rylee Johnston,
PEOPLE,
30 May 2026
-
That’s because its light must travel through a thicker layer of atmosphere near the horizon.—
Jamie Carter,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2026
Adjective
-
The suspect was heavyset and walked with a unique gait, feet splayed apart, as seen in the surveillance video.—
Matthew Adams,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Born into a working-class family, Golubski was a heavyset man who had considered becoming a priest before entering the police force.—
Rachel Monroe,
New Yorker,
18 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Thickset.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thickset. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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