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 The Australian limped into his news conference with a wry smile on his face after getting past Tsitsipas in three sets. — Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2026 The book opens with Haskell cheekily insisting for a bartender to go ahead and add a floral garnish to his cocktail, and that wry indulgence in the fun of flowers and in deeper botanical knowledge is found on every page. — Brianne Kane, Scientific American, 30 July 2026 Interspersed with Mellencamp’s idiosyncratic views of himself were old press shots of the singer, many without a shirt or showcasing pouts and flexed biceps, that fit the song’s wry message. — Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 30 July 2026 Kincaid documented the wry, rueful conditions of colonialism and made a request of one of Britain’s most famous fictional characters. — Literary Hub, 27 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for wry

Recent Examples of Synonyms for wry

Adjective

Our second president, John Adams, was said to have had a sarcastic demeanor and made biting remarks about his contemporaries.

— John Blumenthal, Chicago Tribune, 16 Aug. 2026
Why are people so hungry for a bratty, sarcastic version of Abigail Williams?

— Moises Mendez II, USA Today, 15 Aug. 2026

Definition of sarcastic

Adjective

The affect of these books—brisk, unsentimental, exacting—serves their diagnosis.

— Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026
This cooling tub can be installed inside or out and drops the water temp to a brisk 37°F for consistent recovery sessions.

— Better Homes & Gardens, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of brisk

Adjective

Light tubes, chains, scaffolds, chairs and a barbed wire table all made an appearance.

— Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 16 Aug. 2026
Instead of trying to locate bears in the wild, the survey relies on hair samples collected in barbed wire traps, which can be used to identify individual bears based on their DNA.

— John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of barbed

Adjective

Unauthorized sequels reveal the extremes of why people make movies in the first place, from purely cynical money grabs to pure — even naive — devotion to characters and their world.

— Katie Rife, IndieWire, 11 Aug. 2026
Bill Murray plays Phil Connors, an irritable, cynical weatherman sent to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, to report a story about the town’s quaint groundhog ceremony.

— David Faris, TheWeek, 10 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

Voit credits a keen focus on his nutrition and sleep habits with keeping him in proper condition this late into the season.

— Tim Britton, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2026
Trump has a keen understanding of an entrance, a refrain, a music cue, and, perhaps above all, an audience.

— Erik Forrest Jackson, The Atlantic, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of keen

Adjective

That ironic reality may await passengers on KLM’s new Amsterdam-Toronto route this fall, among other major carriers.

— Edward Russell, CNN Money, 15 Aug. 2026
There’s wisdom and depth to the film’s themes of growing old, dashed dreams and the magic of rediscovery, plus a deliciously ironic final twist.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of ironic

Adjective

Friday will be dry and comfortable in the Twin Cities, and a beautiful weekend is ahead.

— Joseph Dames, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026
If your hair is feeling dry, hairstylist Kee Taylor recommends smoothing a lightweight oil through the midlengths and ends to improve manageability and shine.

— Marci Robin, Allure, 21 Aug. 2026