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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of stark
Unless inflows are drastically increased, one of the Middle East's most important lakes could vanish this summer, leaving behind only salt, dust, and a stark lesson in the costs of mismanagement.
—
Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025
The body had been drained of blood and scrubbed clean with a coconut-fiber brush, appearing stark white in the sun, in contrast to the victim’s jet-black hair.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Sep. 2025
Alternating between Laura and Cherry’s stark perspectives adds to the fun of the series that begs to be binged.
—Erin Jensen, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2025
That marks a stark contrast to less than a decade ago, when China and Russia voted with the US at the UN Security Council to tighten sanctions against North Korea in 2016 and 2017.
—Nectar Gan, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stark
Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025
The body had been drained of blood and scrubbed clean with a coconut-fiber brush, appearing stark white in the sun, in contrast to the victim’s jet-black hair.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Sep. 2025
Alternating between Laura and Cherry’s stark perspectives adds to the fun of the series that begs to be binged.
—Erin Jensen, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2025
That marks a stark contrast to less than a decade ago, when China and Russia voted with the US at the UN Security Council to tighten sanctions against North Korea in 2016 and 2017.
—Nectar Gan, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stark
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stark
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
-
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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Maple and Francesca each opted for dresses, with the former donning a semi-sheer black number and the latter choosing a silky brown slip dress matching her father's color palette.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
10 Sep. 2025
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This trend includes smaller, high-end homes and with buyers favoring places that offer meaningful features over sheer size or clout.—
Sheryl Estrada,
Fortune,
9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
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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That devoid ingredient hindered things exponentially.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
15 Feb. 2024
Adjective
-
Silksong is steeped in religious imagery — desolate chapels, ringing church bells, even rosary beads that act as in-game currency.—
Keller Gordon,
NPR,
8 Sep. 2025
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Her haunting soprano ranged from desolate whispers to expansive belts.—
Audrey Gibbs,
Nashville Tennessean,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Idaho State Police have released hundreds of additional images taken during their investigation into college murderer Bryan Kohberger, giving the first public glimpse of his spartan apartment in Pullman, just across the state line at Washington State University.—
Michael Ruiz,
FOXNews.com,
2 Sep. 2025
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Gastón Solnicki’s latest work features a magnetic central performance from Willem Dafoe, it is artfully composed with painterly images, shots of Vienna at sunset are exquisite, and its spartan dialogue possesses a dry wit.—
Leila Latif,
IndieWire,
31 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Busta also received an assist from Papoose and Joyner Lucas, all of them sharing lyrical wordplay and seamless tradeoffs as Busta swung between his trademark dichotomy of rapping to gruff bellowing.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
8 Sep. 2025
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The Old Man was short and gruff and had chin whiskers.—
Robert Easton,
Outdoor Life,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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With just a few chairs, a handful of tables and a simple tent, the setting was intimate but filled with love and intention.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
7 Sep. 2025
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And one of these, for those of us accustomed to British conventions but who follow the game in continental Europe, is the simple passage of time.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Erik Thommy could not get to the rebound in time to take advantage of an empty net, and his shot was blocked by a defender out for a corner kick.—
Daniel Sperry,
Kansas City Star,
8 Sep. 2025
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What To Know On the night of August 22, Zarutska boarded a Lynx Blue Line train and sat in an empty two-person seat.—
Robert Alexander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stark.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stark. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.
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