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
-
A lot went wrong for the Chiefs on the evening, but perhaps their biggest issue was their typically stout defense being gashed for 394 yards, with Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert going 25-for-34 with 318 yards and three touchdowns.—
Matthew Schmidt,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Sep. 2025
-
The Buckeyes defense looks to be stout again after winning the national title last season.—
Erick Smith,
USA Today,
2 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
-
At the top of that list is a hyaluronic acid serum that traps moisture and leaves my skin noticeably plump and dewy.—
Rachel Trujillo,
PEOPLE,
9 Sep. 2025
-
Fall is the prime time for planting garlic to grow your own large, plump cloves.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The sturdy steel frame holds up to 650 pounds, while the insulated cup holders cool and keep drinks within reach.—
Francesca Krempa,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Sep. 2025
-
If possible, drive to a nearby sturdy building.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Because of that, thick fire walls were installed throughout the plant's buildings.—
Eileen Falkenberg-Hull,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Sep. 2025
-
The air was damp and listless and the heat was something to wade through, thick as molasses.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 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 9 Sep. 2025.
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