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
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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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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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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of stark
Democratic leaders have stressed their commitment to a peaceful transfer of power, working to paint a stark contrast to four years earlier when rioters stormed the Capitol, and some Republican lawmakers challenged the outcome of the 2020 election.
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Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 6 Jan. 2025
Political chaos is one of Trump’s starkest legacies, and now the chickens are coming home to roost, in ways that go beyond his certification.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 3 Jan. 2025
But most military analysts say the stark reality is that Russia's army is simply much larger, fielding with more men, more artillery, more shells.
—Brian Mann, NPR, 2 Jan. 2025
Consider the stark cultural differences between a Black person living in Louisiana versus California or between residents of Hamilton Heights and the Bronx in New York City.
—Mike Villalobos, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for stark 
Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 6 Jan. 2025
Political chaos is one of Trump’s starkest legacies, and now the chickens are coming home to roost, in ways that go beyond his certification.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 3 Jan. 2025
But most military analysts say the stark reality is that Russia's army is simply much larger, fielding with more men, more artillery, more shells.
—Brian Mann, NPR, 2 Jan. 2025
Consider the stark cultural differences between a Black person living in Louisiana versus California or between residents of Hamilton Heights and the Bronx in New York City.
—Mike Villalobos, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for stark
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stark
Adjective
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The Canucks are one winning streak with a healthy lineup away from healing all wounds, but for now, things feel grim.Dom Luszczyszyn, The Athletic, 9 Jan. 2025
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And there was more grim news, this time from Shana’s client: Her home had burned down.Daniel Miller, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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That’s the experience the viewer simply must embrace with The Brutalist: giving themselves over to the sheer loudness of it all.David Sims, The Atlantic, 10 Jan. 2025
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But the sheer scale of what melodic techno DJ, producer, visual artist and visionary Anyma has created at Sphere Las Vegas is something to be experienced first hand.Danny Klein, SPIN, 10 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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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
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The medication has hallucinogenic effects that alter the perception of sight and sound and cause users to feel devoid from pain and out of control of their surroundings.Jay Stahl, USA TODAY, 28 Oct. 2023
Adjective
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Compared to the desolate, almost alien landscape of South Dakota, the North Dakota badlands are flush with vibrant vegetation: Rocky Mountain juniper woodlands, cottonwoods that thrive in the Little Missouri River basin, and sunflowers, asters, and rabbitbrush that bloom in the late summer months.Erica Zazo, Outside Online, 9 Jan. 2025
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After the twinkling lights of the holiday season have been packed away, winter can feel downright dull and desolate, especially for families with energetic kids trapped inside by the cold.Erica Jackson Curran, Parents, 25 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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The wartime leader became a global icon for his gruff fortitude in the opening stages of the war, but his domestic popularity has since dipped.David Brennan, ABC News, 17 Jan. 2025
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Anderson recalled, adopting a gruff tone and pointing toward the audience.EW.com, EW.com, 6 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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My top answer is a simple and no-brainer recommendation: Wash your hands with soap and water.Amanda Schupak, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2025
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Keep your indoor money tree healthy and lush with these simple pruning tips.Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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He is allowed out when the dorm he is housed in is mostly empty.Shirsho Dasgupta, Miami Herald, 8 Jan. 2025
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In what can only be described as a Christmas miracle, the ER was empty.Sherry Kuehl, Kansas City Star, 8 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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California officials are proposing making looting during a local emergency a felony, as wildfires continue to blaze through parts of their state, leaving barren neighborhoods susceptible to such crime.Sarah Fortinsky, The Hill, 15 Jan. 2025
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In one glance, an observer can see the barren, airless lunar surface and a cold, desert planet that once harbored rivers, lakes, and potentially life, all while standing on our own planet, an oasis in the cosmos.Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 14 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near stark
Cite this Entry
“Stark.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stark. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.
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