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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 These flowering annuals produce an abundance of summer blooms on wiry stems. — Rita Pelczar, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 July 2026 When an Instagram video with nearly 100 million views likened his appearance to a green onion — its wiry roots standing in as his hair — Haaland responded in the comments with a side-eyeing dog GIF. — Kaitlyn Huamani, Fortune, 13 July 2026 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 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
  • Putting his lean and sinewy physicality to disquieting use, McNairy makes Wilson both unreadable and coldly transparent, giving him equal parts menace and magnetism.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 17 Sep. 2026
  • 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
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
  • Klum’s footwear choice exemplified what a good pair of pumps should be, with angular features and sharp stilettos.
    — Amina Ayoud, Footwear News, 18 Sep. 2026
  • These angular hooks are especially useful for gripping onto bathroom towels or kitchen rags.
    — Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of angular
Adjective
  • The former may capture incremental productivity gains; the latter can build something structurally faster, leaner and more strategically valuable.
    — Hemant Kapadia, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Limit very fatty cuts of meat and choose lean protein sources like skinless chicken or fish instead.
    — Mark Gurarie, Verywell Health, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of lean
Adjective
  • The slender black flies have a red thorax and slightly transparent wings.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 17 Sep. 2026
  • First Dakota Johnson revives the 2010s hipster uniform of ankle boots, a flannel, and slender jeans at the US Open.
    — Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of slender
Adjective
  • The show’s composer, Stephen Schwartz, and director, Howard Sponseller, seemed utterly taken with this tall, skinny girl, whose name was Gilda Radner.
    — Victor Garber, Vulture, 17 Sep. 2026
  • The victim described a perpetrator who was 24 to 25 years old, skinny and clean-shaven, with a clear speaking voice.
    — Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of skinny
Adjective
  • Over the coming weeks, Venus' crescent will grow ever thinner while its apparent size grows larger as the planet moves closer to Earth.
    — Anthony Wood, Space.com, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Little by little as the day went on, the ranks of us still in the running grew thinner.
    — Victor Garber, Vulture, 17 Sep. 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 23 Sep. 2026.

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