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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Recent Examples of wry
As Marvel moved into the world of media through cartoons and live action shows, his voice, likeness and persona became the glue that held Marvel’s story universes together and papered over shortcomings in early, cheap productions with wry humor.
—
Rob Salkowitz, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026
Still, there’s amusement and electricity in their physicalities and wry antics.
—Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 25 May 2026
Miller knelt down in the middle of it all with a wry look of contentment.
—Andrew Carter, Chicago Tribune, 24 May 2026
The 63-year-old auteur, winner of the Cannes Palme d’Or in 2018 for Shoplifters, has made his indelible imprint on world cinema with delicate family drama, suffused with wry humor and wrenching humanism, far more so than futurism.
—Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 15 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for wry
Rob Salkowitz, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026
Still, there’s amusement and electricity in their physicalities and wry antics.
—Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 25 May 2026
Miller knelt down in the middle of it all with a wry look of contentment.
—Andrew Carter, Chicago Tribune, 24 May 2026
The 63-year-old auteur, winner of the Cannes Palme d’Or in 2018 for Shoplifters, has made his indelible imprint on world cinema with delicate family drama, suffused with wry humor and wrenching humanism, far more so than futurism.
—Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 15 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for wry
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wry
Adjective
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When asked to divulge what his tactics would be against the powerful Swiss team in Saturday’s World Cup opener for the two nations, Lopetegui couldn’t help but unleash a sarcastic but realistic response.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
13 June 2026
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When the 10th batter (Dalton Rushing) struck out for the first out of the inning, the diminished number of Pirates fans still on hand gave a sarcastic cheer for their team’s stick-to-itiveness.—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
10 June 2026
Adjective
-
Consumers haven’t slowed down their brisk spending.—
Steve Forbes,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
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But there are moments of the season that simply call out for a brisk read.—
Rachel Syme,
New Yorker,
10 June 2026
Adjective
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The shoe style includes a barbed wire design on the foxing, canvas uppers, cotton laces and Travis Barker logo detailing on the heel and tongue.—
Stephen Garner,
Footwear News,
11 June 2026
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After netting a Golden Globe nomination for her film debut in 1978's Corvette Summer, Annie Potts joined the cast of Ghostbusters, played the ultimate Cool Girl record store clerk in Pretty in Pink (1986), and essayed her most iconic role as barbed single-mother Mary Jo Shively on Designing Women.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 June 2026
Adjective
-
This is cynical political theater.—
Melissa Gomez,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2026
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The overpowering moral authority of wronged women, #MeToo’s skeptics alleged, would allow cynical wrongdoers to weaponize claims of victimhood for their own gain.—
Moira Donegan,
New Yorker,
9 June 2026
Adjective
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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.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
2 May 2026
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The tracks are more vulnerable, biting, and self-aware than ever, and in some cases, feature lyrics pulled right out of Hjelt’s diary.—
Charisma Madarang,
Rolling Stone,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Sarnoski deromanticizes the legend with keen attention to historic and atmospheric detail, and a studious interest in how stories are told and retold through time.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
11 June 2026
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After knocking England out of the 2018 World Cup, for example, Croatia’s players were keen to throw that line back in their face afterwards.—
Jack Pitt-Brooke,
New York Times,
10 June 2026
Adjective
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Turns out Porter voted over the weekend, in Newport Beach, which has a nice ironic ring to it, no?—
Teri Sforza,
Oc Register,
3 June 2026
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Those artists were ironic and aloof, treating advertising and mass-media imagery as expressions of a broader fug of celebrity and consumerism.—
Jeremy Lybarger,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
Adjective
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Analysts have noted that retail investors could be causing some of the weakness in chips by freeing up dry powder in preparation for the blockbuster IPO – though Bank of America noted that last week’s sell-off was driven by big institutional money.—
Tobias Burns,
CNBC,
10 June 2026
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In the confusion, Paula is able to subdue Sky by nailing his hand to the ground and then sprays Ashley in the face with the dry shampoo before fleeing the scene.—
Erin Qualey,
Vulture,
10 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wry.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wry. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
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