1
as in grim
harsh and threatening in manner or appearance
stark and forbidding mountains that the settlers knew that they would have to cross
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sheer
having no exceptions or restrictions
the school's stark prohibition against obscene slogans on clothing
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in devoid
lacking contents that could or should be present
house buyers trying to imagine what those stark rooms would look like when filled with furniture
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4
as in desolate
producing inferior or only a small amount of vegetation
a once-lush landscape rendered depressingly stark by strip-mining and deforestation
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5
as in spartan
providing only the essentials and nothing fancy or luxurious
monks who have committed themselves to living in stark cells and working and praying in silence
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of stark
That’s a stark contrast from the beginning of Joe Biden’s presidency in 2021, when more than 8 in 10 Democrats approved of how their party was doing its job in Congress, and the start of Trump’s first term in 2017, when about 6 in 10 Democrats approved.
—
Jonathan J. Cooper, Chicago Tribune, 31 Mar. 2025
This is in stark contrast to the way Europe has traditionally developed rockets.
—Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 31 Mar. 2025
Those odds spotlight the stark challenge Democrats are facing on Tuesday in the special election for two reliably red seats in Florida that were held by Republicans Matt Gaetz and Mike Waltz.
—Hunter Woodall, CBS News, 31 Mar. 2025
Yet compared with the first Trump administration, when the threat to American democracy was not as stark, the resistance today is limited and uncoordinated.
—Laura Gamboa, Foreign Affairs, 31 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stark
Jonathan J. Cooper, Chicago Tribune, 31 Mar. 2025
This is in stark contrast to the way Europe has traditionally developed rockets.
—Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 31 Mar. 2025
Those odds spotlight the stark challenge Democrats are facing on Tuesday in the special election for two reliably red seats in Florida that were held by Republicans Matt Gaetz and Mike Waltz.
—Hunter Woodall, CBS News, 31 Mar. 2025
Yet compared with the first Trump administration, when the threat to American democracy was not as stark, the resistance today is limited and uncoordinated.
—Laura Gamboa, Foreign Affairs, 31 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stark
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stark
Adjective
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While in jail, Dean bonds with Zoro, a grim and mysterious teenage prisoner serving time for murder.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
3 Apr. 2025
-
Americans hold more favorable views of Republicans than Democrats, even as favorability remains grim across the board, according to the latest Economist/YouGov poll.—
Sarah Fortinsky,
The Hill,
3 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
But sheer athleticism won’t turn him into a celebrity, and his demeanor doesn’t endear him to people—Majors plays Maddox as a sullen and tightly wound outcast whose environment shapes his isolation.—
Hannah Giorgis,
The Atlantic,
4 Apr. 2025
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But the sheer volume of options in our modern world—especially in digital spheres such as online shopping, streaming services and mobile applications—can overcome the satisfaction of making these choices.—
Uriel Maslansky,
Forbes.com,
4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Banking has become functionally correct but emotionally devoid, with the industry swimming in a sea of sameness.—
Michael Abbott,
Forbes,
19 Mar. 2025
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Delle, devoid for so long from its intrinsic need for social interaction might be filling in the gaps by talking to himself.—
Mack DeGeurin,
Popular Science,
14 Feb. 2023
Adjective
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Fourteen years of war have left the country desolate, and its people exhausted; millions have been displaced or were forced to become refugees.—
Raghed Waked & Justin Salhani,
The Dial,
25 Mar. 2025
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That quality is maintained first and foremost by a desolate whistling-wind sound effect in the background of all the scenes, along with a sustained droning musical score.—
Ben Coxworth,
New Atlas,
14 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Simultaneously punched out, yet refusing to stay down for the count, a gruff Smith does his actorly best to understand, then diss, his public’s view of the slap heard round the world.—
A.D. Amorosi,
Variety,
28 Mar. 2025
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In a gruff voice, Fino speculated about what besides the mushroom might have caused the disease.—
Shayla Love,
The Atlantic,
23 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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That simplicity feels so apt for this show, There's enough here: The production is simple and sweet, while Jonas and Warren exude a certain magnetism.—
Shania Russell,
EW.com,
7 Apr. 2025
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Uncharacteristically for the times, a sincere and simple sentence in the active voice.—
David Bezmozgis,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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But Smith is quick to point out that the facility won’t just sit empty between private driving days.—
Greg Engle,
Forbes.com,
2 Apr. 2025
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But the schedule is also noticeably empty toward the backend of the trip.—
Andrew Carey,
CNN Money,
2 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Charlie Parker’s Favorite Painting (1946) indicates Abercrombie’s engagement with social issues: a yellow noose, nearly fluorescent against a dishwater sky, dangles from a barren tree—an oblique lament from the doggedly antiracist Abercrombie.—
Jeremy Lybarger,
ARTnews.com,
26 Mar. 2025
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Mass Effect's core loop doesn't benefit from huge barren landscapes that are devoid of detail.—
Fran Ruiz,
Space.com,
25 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stark.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stark. Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.
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