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.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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
Meanwhile, the boy protagonist—both innocent and wry, and more mature than either parent—shuttles between the two, trying to keep them from falling apart entirely.
—
Rachel Syme,
New Yorker,
10 June 2026
The cockroach has become a wry badge of endurance and political articulation.
—
ABC News,
5 June 2026
Rams castaway Cooper Kupp still boasts an unexpected wry sense of humor.
—
Steve Henson,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
The act earned a brief pose and a wry smile from the Spurs star.
—
Devon Henderson,
New York Times,
4 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for wry
Rachel Syme,
New Yorker,
10 June 2026
The cockroach has become a wry badge of endurance and political articulation.
—
ABC News,
5 June 2026
Rams castaway Cooper Kupp still boasts an unexpected wry sense of humor.
—
Steve Henson,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
The act earned a brief pose and a wry smile from the Spurs star.
—
Devon Henderson,
New York Times,
4 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for wry
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wry
Adjective
-
Conversely, Charles Johnson expressed irate objections, and Renato Moicano offered sarcastic remarks.
-
There’s the yellow, blue-nosed beaver Norb (Nick Bakay) — witty, sophisticated, sarcastic, and opinionated.
Adjective
-
The 10 tracks of Ton Up are at once his briskest and heaviest yet, miniaturizing his trademark loops of Dillafied psychedelia into speaker-rattling sample snippets that bombard uptempo house beats in dizzying volleys.
-
And yes, back to where the story began, on a brisk night on a huge stage in downtown Detroit.
Adjective
-
Vines have grown through the fence and barbed wire surrounding a tall art deco building in this city’s downtown, and cigarette holders and empty food tins litter the tall weeds.
-
What happened to his barbed humanistic wit?
Adjective
-
Traditionally cynical and perceptive commentators—not to mention a lot of tired citizens—found themselves, in some accounts, overcome by an unexpected wave of patriotic sentimentality that washed away, at least for a moment, their gnawing doubts.
-
Heston is at his most gleefully cynical as Robert Thorn, a police detective who lives and works in a New York City decimated by environmental deterioration and dwindling resources.
Adjective
-
So Google isn’t trying to release more biting mosquitoes into neighborhoods.
-
Netflix’s big comedy bet might be the Dan Levy–Rachel Sennott co-creation Big Mistakes; the biting, farcical series about adult siblings who get caught up in the drug business plays like Weeds crossed with The Other Two.
Adjective
-
However, many board members were not keen on the idea given that the North Miami Ave property sits directly across from railroad tracks serving the Brightline high-speed passenger train.
-
For those more keen on refreshing their homes, our team also has plenty of decor and appliance picks—including a luxury coffee maker—to recommend.
Adjective
-
The funny and ironic thing is that Major League Baseball has also rolled back DEI initiatives in response to the federal government crackdown.
-
But the criticism is ironic given DC Studios’ co-chief James Gunn‘s famous pledge of taking a script-first approach to franchise management.
Adjective
-
Combine gin, lime juice, syrup, Aperol and dry Curaçao in a shaker filled with ice.
-
Although oil companies still needed to use up a significant portion of their inventories during the supply shock, the demand destruction kept crude stockpiles from running dry.
Cite this Entry
“Wry.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wry. Accessed 30 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
