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 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 The headlong pacing allows nary a breather, though there are enough wry notes, character quirks and offbeat details (remote-control doors, goats, a knife fight on a waterbed) to prevent macho monotony from setting in. — Dennis Harvey, Variety, 26 July 2026 Neill was remembered as a wry friend and gentleman by friends, entertainment industry folks and New Zealanders who knew him. — Brittany Levine Beckman, Los Angeles Times, 13 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for wry

Recent Examples of Synonyms for wry

Adjective

The other sarcastic superhero-ed character that makes a few cameos in the film has their own connection to Spider-Man – again, centered on loneliness and eventually learning to open up from their own recent film.

— Laura Sirikul, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
In the present, Lara meets Mari, a sarcastic and blunt high school tomboy who competes as a boxer.

— Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 24 July 2026

Definition of sarcastic

Adjective

The problem, of course, is that this newfound speed arrived in a world whose lighting technology had not quite caught up with the idea of vehicles moving at more than a brisk trot.

— Matthew MacConnell, ArsTechnica, 3 Aug. 2026
Sales have been brisk for state lottery games after a brief period where inflation apparently caused consumers to dial back purchases of scratch-off tickets.

— Jim Turner, Miami Herald, 30 July 2026

Definition of brisk

Adjective

To simulate thwarting advances by enemy forces using the bridge, soldiers erected layers of barriers and rolled barbed wire.

— Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026
Another drone created a smoke screen while still more blasted through triple-layered barbed wire.

— Anna Mulrine Grobe, Christian Science Monitor, 31 July 2026

Definition of barbed

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

The Shards is a series made for (and probably by) people who can’t always distinguish among kitsch, camp, ironic detachment and affectionate nostalgia, and, frankly, don’t care.

— Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 5 Aug. 2026
The post is also ironic given what Musk had just told The Economist.

— Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 29 July 2026

Definition of ironic

Adjective

How to Store Muffins and Quick Bread When storing yeast bread, the storage environment needs to be dry so the bread maintains the crusty exterior.

— Katlyn Moncada, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Aug. 2026
The shelves are stocked with crayons, markers, construction paper, notebooks, folders, binders, dry-erase markers and other classroom materials.

— Tori Mason, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026