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
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
-
Layne faced a really stout Michigan defense in the season opener and predictably struggled, throwing three interceptions in a 34-17 loss.—
Antonio Morales,
New York Times,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Singing onstage at New York’s Beacon Theatre or puttering around her house in Brittany, Birkin appears shorter and stouter, with thin lips and sunspots.—
Anahid Nersessian,
New Yorker,
15 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
However, Schwarber looks like a player right out of the old school with his stocky build.—
John Perrotto,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
-
During the poker game, Bowyer and one of his friends, a stocky guy named Michael Greenberg who had been a fixture at those long-ago high school poker games, began talking to a man seated at the card table.—
DAVID AMSDEN,
Rolling Stone,
29 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
The formula gets bonus points for not feeling sticky, not traveling or feathering, and smoothing out lip lines for a plump, pouty effect.—
Sophia Panych,
Allure,
16 Sep. 2025
-
The prickly pear extract soothe irration and the brand’s signature VIP O2 complex evens your skin tone and hydrates without any tightness, leaving your face plump, clean, and ready for anything.—
Tanya Akim,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Fall sowing encourages sturdy plants and earlier blooms, which can be quite beneficial in hot Southern climes.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
15 Sep. 2025
-
The sturdy plastic housings resist fading and cracking and are brown in color to blend with most outdoor surfaces.—
Miles Walls,
Better Homes & Gardens,
15 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The polished sateen set boasts a thick border in six color combinations to wake up a bedroom.—
Nashia Baker,
Architectural Digest,
10 Sep. 2025
-
To serve, top with thick, creamy Greek yogurt and vibrant fruits of choice, like raspberries, mangoes and blueberries.—
The New York Times News Service Syndicate,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Sullivans Island Police Chief Glenn Meadows described the suspect as heavyset, in his 40s, balding with a goatee.—
David Matthews,
New York Daily News,
1 May 2025
-
The woman described the robbery suspect as a heavyset man with a beard, police said.—
Staff report,
Hartford Courant,
20 Dec. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Thickset.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thickset. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
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