WIRY Synonyms: 84 Similar and Opposite Words

wiry

adjective

Definition of wiry

as in scrawny

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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 wiry And in a nation known for its tall people, the legendary Dutchman Johan Cruyff wasn’t exactly a giant at 5 feet 10 inches with a wiry frame. — Joshua P. Cohen, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026 Shola Jimoh continues to show promise as a wiry 18-year-old attacker with Inter Toronto and has impressed Marsch in previous Canada camps. — Joshua Kloke, New York Times, 7 July 2026 Those themes are compelling on paper, but they’re expressed through a confusing mix of abstraction and hyper-local specificity, hidden beneath biker rock riffs, and obscured through Allbrook’s wiry, wailing vocal delivery. — Cassidy Sollazzo, Pitchfork, 19 June 2026 In this rendition, the diabolical duo of Todd and Lovett are younger, more wiry, more tightly wound and thus more dangerous. — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 16 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for wiry

Recent Examples of Synonyms for wiry

Adjective

In 1958, a scrawny 17-year-old Pele led Brazil to a World Cup title.

— Jack Lang, New York Times, 1 July 2026
And who can say for sure whether twilight is the arrival of some dark night or the coming of the dawn, or whether a scrawny boy’s shoulder blades might really be the nubs of angel wings, or where, if anywhere, any of us will find new life.

— Casey Cep, New Yorker, 9 May 2026

Definition of scrawny

Adjective

One of Nebel’s major works was still there — The Wrestlers, a huge plaster work of two sinewy men locked in combat, which had been his thesis as a student.

— Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 30 July 2026
The White man, his sinewy, tattooed arms already beet-red from the sun, shouldered the cross from the center beam.

— John Blake, CNN Money, 19 July 2026

Definition of sinewy

Adjective

Two high schoolers were on the clock at the front desk of the angular, glass building, which doubles as the office for the city’s Chamber of Commerce.

— Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 7 Aug. 2026
Sudan’s ongoing war is threatening the integrity of its ancient Meroe pyramids, a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its unique and angular architecture, as preservation efforts have completely halted.

— ABC News, ABC News, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of angular

Adjective

My discipline is to fight that instinct and lean toward being there, even when the case for staying put looks reasonable.

— John Speranza, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
So what Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has done is lean unusually hard on the cheaper rate today to finance a roughly $2 trillion annual deficit.

— Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 8 Aug. 2026

Definition of lean

Adjective

At a nearby table, a pair of slender metallic arms was folding and refolding a blue T-shirt.

— Evan Osnos, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026
In this tall, slender building though, there’s a feel of being tucked away in the eaves of a guesthouse on some cobblestoned European side street, especially after the long and creaky elevator ride.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Aug. 2026

Definition of slender

Adjective

Sorry millennials, skinny jeans have taken a back seat lately for baggier styles, and Emily Ratajkowski isn’t the only celeb on board.

— Ali Faccenda, InStyle, 9 Aug. 2026
This peak Millennial era was a mix of hipster and bohemian aesthetic, with skinny jeans, flannel shirts, flowy lace dresses, oversized felt hats, and combat boots or TOMS Shoes (Hey, remember those?

— Jessie Quinn, StyleCaster, 8 Aug. 2026

Definition of skinny

Adjective

Farinacci often spent days and even weeks scouting potential fire locations, monitoring weather and wildfire data, and planning to set multiple fires to stretch firefighting resources thin, according to detectives.

— Cindy Von Quednow, CNN Money, 10 Aug. 2026
Those moments are sobering reminders of just how thin the margins are for the Phillies rotation, which has been excellent for the most part, though extremely top-heavy.

— Charlotte Varnes, New York Times, 9 Aug. 2026

Definition of thin

Browse Nearby Words

wirra

wiry

wisdom

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Style

“Wiry.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wiry. Accessed 11 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of wiry

adjective

Example Sentences

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