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
The act earned a brief pose and a wry smile from the Spurs star.
—
Devon Henderson, New York Times, 4 June 2026
As Paula finally reaches Detective Gonzalez and excitedly chatters about her wire transfer ruse, the wry officer isn’t amused.
—Erin Qualey, Vulture, 29 May 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for wry
Devon Henderson, New York Times, 4 June 2026
As Paula finally reaches Detective Gonzalez and excitedly chatters about her wire transfer ruse, the wry officer isn’t amused.
—Erin Qualey, Vulture, 29 May 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for wry
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wry
Adjective
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There were the polite claps after good attacks by the Swiss, sarcastic whistles by the Qatari fans after their team again failed to mount a threat.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
13 June 2026
-
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
-
Maddie’s Secret by John Early is doing brisk business at the IFC Center as screenings fill up for opening weekend of the Magnolia Pictures’ comedy.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
19 June 2026
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Even so, her spiral downward to near death before ending up in treatment is ridiculously, gloriously brisk.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
19 June 2026
Adjective
-
Devil's Rope Museum in McLean, Texas Roughly an hour's drive from Amarillo, the Devil's Rope Museum is an interesting stop, with exhibits dedicated to the history of Route 66 in Texas, as well as the importance of barbed wire and its impact on the American West.—
Elizabeth Rhodes,
Travel + Leisure,
18 June 2026
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Johnson was initially refused entry, but got inside by using a set of stairs to hop a barbed wire fence, prosecutors said.—
Evy Lewis,
Chicago Tribune,
18 June 2026
Adjective
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Moreover, if Griffin stepped into public life now, the cynical wags in finance would declare the reason obvious—his hedge fund’s returns have been sagging.—
Gary Sernovitz,
New Yorker,
15 June 2026
-
Americans become even more cynical and polarized.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
15 June 2026
Adjective
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So Google isn’t trying to release more biting mosquitoes into neighborhoods.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
12 June 2026
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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
Adjective
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Netflix executives are known to be keen to see how users engage with linear channels, though the company also expects much of the viewing to be concentrated on TF1’s on-demand content.—
Stewart Clarke,
Deadline,
18 June 2026
-
According to Canine Companions, goldens have a keen insight into human emotional cues, not just commands.—
Pat Mueller,
USA Today,
18 June 2026
Adjective
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The same can be said for the One Wish Willow, whose regular availability in a holistic gift shop belies sinister developments until the customer is slowly dying from the ironic fallout of their heart’s deepest desire.—
Josh Weiss,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
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The Next Frontier That the private market revolution is being led by a company focused on cosmic exploration is ironic, considering how few investors were believers when the field was getting started two decades ago.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
11 June 2026
Adjective
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The combination of a dangerous storm surge and the tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline.—
MIAMI HERALD HURRICANE BOT,
Miami Herald,
17 June 2026
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Storm surge combined with the normal tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline.—
Kenton Gewecke,
ABC News,
17 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wry.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wry. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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