1
as in harshly
in a manner so as to cause loss or suffering
stiffly criticized for making such indiscreet comments in public
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in strongly
in a vigorous and forceful manner
a stiffly fought battle
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stiffly
Adverb
-
After Talley’s initial court hearing Monday, Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 7 President John Catanzara and Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza were among several officials who harshly criticized the passage of the SAFE-T Act and Lyke’s decision to grant Talley pretrial release.—
Caroline Kubzansky,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2026 -
Again, Gulutzan was reluctant to criticize his team too harshly given how close the series has been.—
Mark Lazerus,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
The activity for Initio, with functional fragrances meant to trigger emotions, is performing strongly, too.—
Jennifer Weil,
Footwear News,
28 Apr. 2026
-
That philosophy has resonated strongly with patients throughout New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut.—
Connie Etemadi,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
Such cuts would defund Florida Forever, severely limiting the state’s ability to protect priority conservation lands and undermining administrative and staffing capacity.—
Susan Carr,
Sun Sentinel,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Others have been severely neglected or abused or left stranded following their owner’s death.—
Eric Adler
April 26,
Kansas City Star,
26 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
The vines grow vigorously in full sun and can reach 10 feet in length.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday ordered the IDF to vigorously attack Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, according to the Israeli Prime Minister's Office.—
NPR Staff,
NPR,
25 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
The first of the four chapters is an oppressively gray-toned, narratively diffuse spy thriller, set amid the mists of what appears to be the Second World War.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
18 Dec. 2025
-
The second planet from the sun has a completely inhospitable surface, with temperatures reaching 863 degrees Fahrenheit (462 degrees Celsius) and a crushing pressure underneath an oppressively thick atmosphere.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
1 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
Amodei is forcibly removed and replaced with a deferential Army general.—
Matteo Wong,
The Atlantic,
27 Apr. 2026
-
On April 15, 35-year-old Melbourne resident Thomas Jesse Bingham was federally indicted on one charge of forcibly assaulting, resisting, intimidatingor interfering with federal officers performing official duties, according to court records obtained by PEOPLE.—
Colson Thayer,
PEOPLE,
20 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
That deeply constrains everything that occurs in the show’s first outing, which can’t see Mike, El, Dustin, Lucas, or Max grow as characters in ways that bump up against their arcs from the original show, or let the new addition Nikki (Odessa A’zion) become too firmly entrenched in their lives.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Verdict As tested at MSRP of $74,740, this SQ5 Prestige with Black Optic package sits firmly in the upper tier of compact luxury performance SUVs.—
Chris Jackson,
Denver Post,
24 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
Investors had cheered the talks and the prospect of change at a fiercely independent company that had relied on decades-old relationships.—
Edwin Chan,
Bloomberg,
27 Apr. 2026
-
The play follows a fiercely competitive group of real estate agents battling for survival in a ruthless sales contest.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
24 Apr. 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Stiffly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stiffly. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
