wiry

adjective

Definition of wirynext
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
  1. scrawny
  2. sinewy
  3. rawboned
  4. angular
  5. lean
  6. slender
  7. skinny
  8. thin
Adjective
  • The comedy of Gilligan’s Island often centered on the interactions between the scrawny, clueless Gilligan and the rotund, impatient skipper.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 5 Aug. 2026
  • In 1958, a scrawny 17-year-old Pele led Brazil to a World Cup title.
    — Jack Lang, New York Times, 1 July 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
  • Like so many in Lincoln Heights, this tiny, rawboned 89-year-old woman had lived through a time of gang violence, high crime and police oppression.
    — Brittny Mejia, Joe Mozingo, www.latimes.com, 3 Apr. 2018
Definition of rawboned
Adjective
  • The reception desk is accented by an angular brass piece evoking an airplane wing, and the Academy’s four class colors—blue, silver, red, and gold—show up in the carpeting and at the various entrances to the property.
    — Beth Luberecki, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Its angular post-bop vibes featured Blanchard and Garrett skittering over the rhythm section’s cool feel.
    — Peter Larsen, Daily News, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of angular
Adjective
  • How is this possible, especially for organizations that are already lean from a staff perspective?
    — Lyssanoel Frater, USA Today, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Keeping their costs lean, the founders decided to run their company operations out of their hometown of Kyiv, Ukraine.
    — Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of lean
Adjective
  • Researchers also examined measurement techniques for slender flying-wing shapes.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Guests at Brookfield Zoo can identify her in Dolphin Bay by her distinctive features, including faint white lines along the sides of her head and chest, pink coloration on the underside of her slender rostrum, and gray ventral side.
    — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of slender
Adjective
  • Elordi himself opted to wear Bottega Veneta, sporting a navy, softly pinstriped double-breasted suit with sharp lapels and coordinating tailored pants, a white shirt, and navy skinny tie.
    — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Love is blind, love is on the spectrum, love is… suddenly skinny?
    — Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of skinny
Adjective
  • With a steely disposition, Dikha is seen in the videos standing at the very front of a thin boat, executing a repetitive series of dance moves as a line of rowers propel them through a river.
    — Mitchell McCluskey, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2026
  • The mountain of seafood comes with a little sidecar of very thin, very crispy potato chips, seemingly for the hell of it, and a bottle of tart, fiery homemade hot sauce.
    — Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of thin

Browse Nearby Words

wirra
wiry
wisdom
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Cite this Entry

“Wiry.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wiry. Accessed 25 Aug. 2026.

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