1
as in archaic
having passed its time of use or usefulness
rusty laws still on the books because no one bothered to repeal them
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in hoarse
harsh and dry in sound
in a rusty voice the old man ordered us off his land
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of rusty
Pitching in his first game since undergoing internal brace surgery in his right elbow, Giolito appeared rusty out of the gate.
—
Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 11 Mar. 2025
Conventional lantana colors are oranges, yellows, and rusty reds, but pink is available in this and a few other cultivars.
—Neil Sperry, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Mar. 2025
Open Pine Forests Eufala National Wildlife Refuge One of the most significant environments for wintering rusty blackbirds, Eufala National Wildlife Refuge is also host to an ecosystem of wiregrass and longleaf pines, a keystone tree species native to the Southeastern United States.
—Catherine Jessee, Southern Living, 8 Mar. 2025
The celestial event, which will see the moon change to rusty red hues, will occur in the U.S. on the night of March 13-14.
—Saman Shafiq, USA TODAY, 6 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rusty
Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 11 Mar. 2025
Conventional lantana colors are oranges, yellows, and rusty reds, but pink is available in this and a few other cultivars.
—Neil Sperry, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Mar. 2025
Open Pine Forests Eufala National Wildlife Refuge One of the most significant environments for wintering rusty blackbirds, Eufala National Wildlife Refuge is also host to an ecosystem of wiregrass and longleaf pines, a keystone tree species native to the Southeastern United States.
—Catherine Jessee, Southern Living, 8 Mar. 2025
The celestial event, which will see the moon change to rusty red hues, will occur in the U.S. on the night of March 13-14.
—Saman Shafiq, USA TODAY, 6 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rusty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rusty
Adjective
-
The chain gang will still be on the field as a backup option, but the archaic measuring system will no longer be the primary way to determine a first down or not on close plays.—
Josh Hammer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Apr. 2025
-
That would have been necessary in the technologically archaic Cohen building — absent the existential question now hovering over the networks.—
David Folkenflik,
NPR,
15 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
As the speech came to an end, Booker’s voice was hoarse, but his resolve was unshaken.—
Melissa Noel,
Essence,
2 Apr. 2025
-
By now, many economists are hoarse screaming that higher tariffs and a trade war will raise prices and hurt the U.S. economy.—
Greg Rosalsky,
NPR,
11 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
In 2018, Russia blamed Israel for an incident in which an antiquated Syrian S-200 anti-aircraft missile destroyed a Russian military transport while targeting Israeli fighter jets, killing all 15 Russian personnel aboard.—
Paul Iddon,
Forbes.com,
28 Mar. 2025
-
Too many fouls, not enough freedom for creativity and an antiquated two halves format have kept him from diving in.—
C.J. Doon,
Baltimore Sun,
26 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
This was the puzzle: The Torch and the Treasure A Bridge Puzzle of Strategy, Speed... and Stolen Gold Five daring fantasy thieves—a nimble Elf, a sneaky Goblin, a fleet-footed Satyr, a gruff Dwarf, and a hulking Troll—have just pulled off the heist of the century.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
3 Apr. 2025
-
Could this gruff old man playing mahjong in a nondescript hall be a curious gambler on the last boat up the Mekong, laughing in the face of Edward’s existential crisis?—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
28 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
This means old proxies for productivity, such as time at the desk or visible busyness, are quickly becoming obsolete.—
Julian Hayes II,
Forbes.com,
28 Mar. 2025
-
In an era when career uncertainty—marked by layoffs, automation, shifting regulations, and changing expectations—traditional notions of job security are becoming obsolete.—
Daisy Auger-Domínguez,
Harvard Business Review,
25 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Voicing the bag is an older woman with a husky Tuscan timbre, which carries the whole way through its lifecycle onscreen.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
14 Feb. 2025
-
My husky boy feet cemented into the concrete veranda.—
Diane Seuss,
Harper's Magazine,
2 July 2024
Adjective
-
Not medieval Spain, but as recently as the 1980s in the Soviet Union.—
Olga & Igor Alterman,
Sun Sentinel,
2 Apr. 2025
-
Sonja Drimmer is an associate professor of medieval art and architecture at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and the author of The Art of Allusion: Illuminators and the Making of English Literature, 1403–1476 (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2018). NOTES 1.—
Sonja Drimmer,
Artforum,
1 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Desk calendar Your old phone can be repurposed as your personal calendar.—
Kurt Knutsson, CyberGuy Report,
FOXNews.com,
6 Apr. 2025
-
My father, Mila’s grandfather, after whom she is named, was five years old at the time.—
David Bezmozgis,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rusty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rusty. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share