WRY Synonyms: 61 Similar and Opposite Words

wry

adjective

Definition of wry

as in sarcastic

marked by the use of clever and often dark humor The writer had a wry wit that was something of an acquired taste.

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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 wry Despite a dizzying number of podcasts, the sports world lacks wry, newsy video chats of true depth, at least since Around the Horn went off the air. — Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 26 Aug. 2026 The wry, winking tone still legible in its pages was an early iteration of the urbane magazine voice that powered nineteenth-century publications such as Judge and Puck, as well as later ones like The New Yorker, New York, Spy, and Gawker. — Eric Lach, New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2026 Flowers’ voice also carries some of Waylon’s wry, bear-hug generosity, that warmth that always makes his music feel like good company. — Jayson Greene, Pitchfork, 25 Aug. 2026 Romano’s wry, hangdog default demeanor suits his character, Joe, a father of two who’s separated from his wife (Penelope Ann Miller) and living in a depressing motel. — Judy Berman, Time, 11 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for wry

Recent Examples of Synonyms for wry

Adjective

Starring Andrew Scott as British actor Ian Charleson, who throws himself into playing Hamlet while succumbing to AIDS, the film’s ensemble cast features Dolan as the sarcastic receptionist at the National Theatre in London.

— Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 10 Sep. 2026
The sarcastic Chandler Bing (Matthew Perry) and affable actor Joey Tribbiani (Matt LeBlanc) are among her favorite characters.

— Mack DeGeurin, Popular Science, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of sarcastic

Adjective

Fall in Europe brings with it brisk temperatures that make sightseeing an utter joy, thinner crowds that leave room for locals, and an opportunity to experience cities in their most authentic light.

— Jessica Sulima, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Sep. 2026
Travelers willing to brave the brisk ocean winds are rewarded with quieter beaches, fewer visitors, and generally lower lodging rates.

— Sierra Vandervort, Travel + Leisure, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of brisk

Adjective

There are plenty of Ostalgie museums in today’s united Germany, furnished with memorabilia of the German Democratic Republic, from twigs of barbed wire to Trabant gearboxes.

— Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 3 Sep. 2026
Across the lot in an unused patch of pavement, pops of bright orange and yellow reach skyward toward the imposing barbed wire that’s laced atop metal security bars.

— Leigh-Ann Jackson, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of barbed

Adjective

The film is certainly casting a spell, and whether or not that’s simply cynical (and insidiously effective) marketing doesn’t much matter when you’re caught up in it.

— Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2026
There’s rom-com-style banter between Alice and her colleague Danny (Scoot McNairy), and cynical mentorship from FBI agent Nora (Quincy Tyler Bernstine), who has seen enough to drive her to drink.

— Joy Press, Vanity Fair, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of cynical

Adjective

The pacing is more frenetic, the narration more biting, the flashbacks more jarring, and the comedowns much harsher.

— Hannah Giorgis Yohannes, Vanity Fair, 13 July 2026
Described as a biting political thriller in the tradition of Wild in the Streets and V for Vendetta, The Hunted is set in a dystopian America where trans people are brutalized and erased to the margins of society.

— Glenn Garner, Deadline, 20 June 2026

Definition of biting

Adjective

For there is a sense that the series is working toward a keener meaning of what politics and those who practice this less-than-scientific pursuit are about.

— Miles Beller, HollywoodReporter, 17 Sep. 2026
Pro Ref, the governing body for English soccer officials, will be keen to avoid any further mishaps before the international break.

— ABC News, ABC News, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of keen

Adjective

Former Republican congressman and ironic meme icon George Santos was just banned from Kalshi — for life.

— Frank Landymore, Futurism, 2 Sep. 2026
Shooting in a widescreen format that gives ironic grandeur to a squat, featureless town in the Texas Panhandle, DP Peter Flinckenberg is attentive to the piercing, sometimes radiant winter light of the region in the harshest months of the year.

— Guy Lodge, Variety, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of ironic

Adjective

Make sure skin is clean and dry so the patch sticks — skip body lotions or oils in this area.

— Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 16 Sep. 2026
Saalt Wear leakproof underwear is super comfortable, featuring patented leak technology that's ultra-thin and dry and works for everything from periods to bladder leaks, from teenage years to postmenopause.

— ABC News, ABC News, 16 Sep. 2026