as in fiery
marked by a lively display of strong feeling
a spunky determination to make the best of a bad situation
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of spunky
Min receives the same space to open up in scenes with his grandmother; and Chris, in moments opposite his spunky younger cousin (Bobo Le).
—
Natalia Winkelman, IndieWire, 27 Jan. 2025
Kendrick also stars as Sheryl, a struggling LA actress who is persuaded to go on The Dating Game by friends, and her typically winsome, spunky performance—and able direction— lifts Woman of the Hour to the next level.
—Ars Technica, 23 Dec. 2024
Whereas, Izzy the Guinea Pig is more of a leap-before-you-look kind of character, with this punk rock sort of energy and really spunky.
—Lynnette Nicholas, Parents, 10 Dec. 2024
Forms a treasured bond with a spunky colt named Pinto Bean.
—Alex Baia, The New Yorker, 19 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for spunky
Natalia Winkelman, IndieWire, 27 Jan. 2025
Kendrick also stars as Sheryl, a struggling LA actress who is persuaded to go on The Dating Game by friends, and her typically winsome, spunky performance—and able direction— lifts Woman of the Hour to the next level.
—Ars Technica, 23 Dec. 2024
Whereas, Izzy the Guinea Pig is more of a leap-before-you-look kind of character, with this punk rock sort of energy and really spunky.
—Lynnette Nicholas, Parents, 10 Dec. 2024
Forms a treasured bond with a spunky colt named Pinto Bean.
—Alex Baia, The New Yorker, 19 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for spunky
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spunky
Adjective
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Soto came up as a young player in a Washington Nationals clubhouse seeing players with a variety of different personalities in leadership roles, like the fiery Max Scherzer, the flashy Bryce Harper, the business-like Stephen Strasburg and longtime veterans like Ryan Zimmerman and Howie Kendrick.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
16 Feb. 2025
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The dangers of replicating humans and the potential for unethical abuse of the technology are stressed in a dour warning by a senior official on Earth, played with fiery authority in her final screen role by the redoubtable Haydn Gwynne, to whom the film is dedicated.—
David Rooney,
The Hollywood Reporter,
15 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Twelve minutes before tipoff, Gottlieb finishes his spirited pregame speech by declaring the Phoenix to be the hungriest team in America, then walks into a spartan coaches’ locker room.—
Brian Hamilton,
The Athletic,
14 Feb. 2025
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The spirited schnauzer bested six other finalists to become the first of his breed tapped as Westminster’s best in show, the most prestigious prize in the U.S. dog show world.—
Jennifer Peltz,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Young Americans are increasingly passionate about meritocracy again, and we should all be encouraged about their potential as the C-suite’s next generation of leaders.—
John Rau,
Forbes,
24 Feb. 2025
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One of those passionate fans is Mateo Carreón, a 16-year-old junior at Jesuit High School.—
CHRIS MACIAS,
Sacramento Bee,
23 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Try a spicy passion fruit mojito with muddled jalapenos, agave, lime juice, and passion fruit puree served with a peppery Tajín rim, or The Brookline, made with bourbon, mint, basil, and a crown of charred grapefruit.—
Kara Baskin,
BostonGlobe.com,
19 Jan. 2023
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While it is often thought of as a boring blending grape to increase volume and lower the tenacity of a wine, on its own, it’s light, juicy, and a bit peppery.—
Kate Dingwall,
Forbes,
31 Dec. 2022
Adjective
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The office campus attracted potential buyers at a brisk pace, according to Newmark brokers.—
George Avalos,
The Mercury News,
12 Feb. 2025
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Remarkably, in a brisk 90-minute play, DeLappe finds ways for every girl to be seen and for each one to be in conflict with at least one teammate, though the goalkeeper #00’s most intense conflict is with her own performance anxiety.—
Jim Higgins,
Journal Sentinel,
11 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spunky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spunky. Accessed 2 Mar. 2025.
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