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
Early episodes strike a wry tone.
—
Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 23 Sep. 2025
Jenkin’s work is idiosyncratic, wry, and lush, shot on gorgeous 16mm.
—Vulture Staff, Vulture, 23 Sep. 2025
Observations, snippets of dialogue, and wry anecdotes make up this laconic novel, which focusses on the life of a young woman in New York.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
Baker wisely doesn’t attempt to write entirely in Austen’s wry style, but glimmers do peek through.
—Barbara Ellis, Denver Post, 21 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wry
Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 23 Sep. 2025
Jenkin’s work is idiosyncratic, wry, and lush, shot on gorgeous 16mm.
—Vulture Staff, Vulture, 23 Sep. 2025
Observations, snippets of dialogue, and wry anecdotes make up this laconic novel, which focusses on the life of a young woman in New York.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
Baker wisely doesn’t attempt to write entirely in Austen’s wry style, but glimmers do peek through.
—Barbara Ellis, Denver Post, 21 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wry
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wry
Adjective
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Following the mother-daughter duo of Lorelai Gilmore, played by Lauren Graham, and Rory, played by Alexis Bledel, Gilmore Girls was perfectly made for millennials, packed with wistful romances, frustrating dramatic turns and just enough sarcastic jokes.—
Stephanie Sengwe,
PEOPLE,
5 Oct. 2025
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Viewers on Reddit were amused by the extortionate price shown for the vacation deal in the recent post, with several sharing their sarcastic takes on it.—
Soo Kim,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Vasilas attributes the brisk business to not having a lot of competition for the kind of service Ted’s Clothiers offers.—
Judith Kohler,
Denver Post,
24 Sep. 2025
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Leisurely walking, especially for short distances, may not be enough to get the full potential benefit compared with walking longer distances at a brisker pace.—
Kristen Rogers,
CNN Money,
20 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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There are no spools of barbed wire atop its fences or looming guard towers to announce its purpose.—
Shirsho Dasgupta,
Miami Herald,
26 Sep. 2025
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The pair have traded many barbed comments since Khan was elected to lead London in 2016 — Khan strongly criticized the president the same year for pledging a travel ban on a number of majority-Muslim countries, which was enacted in 2017.—
Patrick Smith,
NBC news,
24 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Anyone proposing to offer a master class on changing the world for the better, without becoming negative, cynical, angry or narrow-minded in the process, could model their advice on the life and work of pioneering animal behavior scholar Jane Goodall.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
2 Oct. 2025
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The reason is simple, if cynical.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Sourcing Journal,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The characters have this sharp, biting, British humor.—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
28 Aug. 2025
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There’s Bud the biting cat, played by a feline named Tonic and who deserves a three-picture deal.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
28 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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One in particular was slow working, keen nosed, and close ranging.—
Worth Matthewson,
Outdoor Life,
2 Oct. 2025
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Hartwell was not keen on the idea.—
Stewart Mandel,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Ultimately, Weitzman says, while some people view the humor through an ironic or detached lens, the movie is made with an honesty that isn’t always depicted in comedy.—
William Earl,
Variety,
6 Oct. 2025
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But his comments are, at the very least, rather ironic.—
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
2 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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This innovative dry shampoo isn’t designed to just absorb oil and create that all-too-familiar gritty feeling on your strands.—
Jessie Quinn,
StyleCaster,
7 Oct. 2025
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The Columbia Men's Newton Ridge Plus II Waterproof Omni-heat Boots are currently 25 percent off and will keep feet dry and warm during hikes year-round.—
Anne Taylor,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wry.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wry. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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