1
as in gruff
harsh and threatening in manner or appearance
pinned them with a steely gaze and demanded to know what they were doing
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in grey
of the color gray
steely eyes that are the color of a stormy sky
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of steely
Contrasting those steely hues is a black ceramic bezel.
—
Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 31 Aug. 2025
His life is shaken up with the unexpected arrival of his estranged birth mother, Marg, a steely, misfit who reminds him of himself.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 10 Aug. 2025
By far, the deepest relationship of his life was with his wife, Mary, whose steely resolve helped bolster his commitment to freeing enslaved people.
—Christi Parsons, Chicago Tribune, 27 July 2025
Played by the steely yet vulnerable Israeli actress Niv Sultan, Tamar infiltrates her former country with ease and initially takes shelter in Tehran with her aunt, who had remained behind.
—Michael M. Rosen, The Washington Examiner, 25 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for steely
Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 31 Aug. 2025
His life is shaken up with the unexpected arrival of his estranged birth mother, Marg, a steely, misfit who reminds him of himself.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 10 Aug. 2025
By far, the deepest relationship of his life was with his wife, Mary, whose steely resolve helped bolster his commitment to freeing enslaved people.
—Christi Parsons, Chicago Tribune, 27 July 2025
Played by the steely yet vulnerable Israeli actress Niv Sultan, Tamar infiltrates her former country with ease and initially takes shelter in Tehran with her aunt, who had remained behind.
—Michael M. Rosen, The Washington Examiner, 25 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for steely
Recent Examples of Synonyms for steely
Adjective
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Panday plays a convincingly gruff tortured artist alongside Padda’s struggling ingenue, and most of the screen time is devoted to their pairing instead of introducing tertiary excess.—
Proma Khosla,
IndieWire,
13 Sep. 2025
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The barbs were frequently aimed at the gruff owner of Mel’s Diner played by the late Vic Tayback.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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In fact, Baltimore has received a stern warning on closing out big games from former All-Pro cornerback Patrick Peterson.—
James Brizuela,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Sep. 2025
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Shatter and Falconi had formed Flipper in the late 1970s Bay Area at the dawn of hardcore, the tougher and sterner punk variant that had a stronghold in California.—
Jazz Monroe,
Pitchfork,
7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Mary Anne MacLeod grew up in a suburb, a village called Tong — really just a cluster of houses, including the early 20th century squat gray stucco bungalow that was her family's home.—
Lauren Frayer,
NPR,
14 Sep. 2025
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On one hand, companies that enable gray-zone transactions face heightened scrutiny.—
Ilona Limonta-Volkova,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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In the face of fierce opposition, Lyles supported bringing the Republican National Convention to Charlotte in 2020 — standing on her commitment to represent the entire city as mayor.—
Briah Lumpkins,
Charlotte Observer,
15 Sep. 2025
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In Paradise Bay, competition is fierce to attract high-end clientele and the standout offering at Maxx Royal is its two-story, 5,750-square-meter spa.—
Maureen O'Hare,
CNN Money,
15 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The Woodward Jacket is reimagined in fine Italian lambskin leather with a unique silver herringbone print, paying homage to traditional menswear fabrics, a brand staple.—
Cassell Ferere,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
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Cut two ways, it will be shown in lace with a sheer jersey lining and in a silver metallic knit resembling the chainmail of the Knights Templar.—
Ari Stark,
Footwear News,
9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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But in recent years, acts of brazen violence have been the grim drumbeat of a debased national politics.—
Eric Cortellessa,
Time,
11 Sep. 2025
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Despite that progress, pancreatic cancer holds the grim record for having a survival rate of only 13% across five years – the lowest of all.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Fighting off predators, fending for food, and living in rugged terrain with harsh conditions – this was not a means of living for the weak.—
Aly Walansky,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
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Limited access and steep rugged terrain will continue to hamper suppression.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Is this event also a way to make World and the Orb feel more approachable and less intimidating to the public, especially those skeptical of getting their eyes scanned?—
Tanya Benedicto Klich,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
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For starters, the Nittany Lions play their home games at Beaver Stadium, which can be an intimidating place with seating for 106,572 fans.—
Walter Villa,
Miami Herald,
4 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Steely.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/steely. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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