How to Use sterling in a Sentence

sterling

1 of 2 noun
  • His sad death should serve as a sterling example for us all.
    — Newsweek Contributors, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025
  • The team’s pipeline looks sterling and that should set the team up well for long-term success.
    — Dom Luszczyszyn, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2025
  • Your sterling work ethic is what will gain the most attention in the week ahead.
    — Tribune Content Agency, oregonlive, 12 Sep. 2021
  • Add a sterling silver hat band to that and you’ll be rung up $4,950.
    — Maliya Ellis, Houston Chronicle, 18 Mar. 2026
  • The sentiment was a lie, of course, no more sterling than a counterfeit bill.
    — Joseph Lezza, Longreads, 30 Mar. 2023
  • The utensils are gold vermeil, which is gold plating over sterling silver.
    — oregonlive, 31 Aug. 2021
  • The companies that market them tend to use terms like sterling and chiffon lace and winding brook.
    — Amanda Mull, The Atlantic, 19 Aug. 2022
  • Also strong are belt buckles in sterling silver as well as rose gold, along with earrings and necklaces.
    — Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 27 Jan. 2026
  • Silver items will be stainless steel, silver plate or sterling, and usually have a back stamp.
    — Rose Bruno Bailey, Chron, 1 Dec. 2021
  • Keep in mind that sterling pieces do exist without markings, and that's where the tips below come into play.
    — Tessa Cooper, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 June 2026
  • From what George had heard, maybe even a millionaire—a sterling millionaire.
    — David Wingrave, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
  • The eulogies captured his sterling CV, but this man was far more than his resume.
    — Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 2 Nov. 2022
  • And despite his sterling effort, Wacha took a no-decision.
    — Kansas City Star, 27 June 2026
  • Anything sterling or silver-plated, from julep cups to picture frames to utensils, is fair game for a monogram.
    — Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 24 June 2026
  • The more difficult issue was whether relief could be awarded in bitcoin rather than sterling.
    — Susie Violet Ward, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026
  • On that view, the loss was the bitcoin that should have been transferred, rather than the sterling value of unpaid expenses.
    — Susie Violet Ward, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026
  • The moves put sterling at its lowest price versus the greenback since early August.
    — Tasmin Lockwood,chloe Taylor,holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2025
  • As a result, sales for sterling flatware have sunk lower than the Lusitania.
    — Marni Jameson, Orlando Sentinel, 1 July 2022
  • Much of that damage is to Britain’s once-sterling reputation in the markets.
    — Mark Landler, New York Times, 20 Oct. 2022
  • Pulisic recovered from that setback, and resumed his sterling season.
    — Henry Bushnell, New York Times, 2 Feb. 2026
  • Don't miss this sterling reminder that Christmas and (love, actually) is all around us.
    — Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 6 Dec. 2021
  • Vladar made a sterling save on Cousins almost six minutes into the second, keeping the game scoreless.
    — CBS News, 6 Feb. 2026
  • London is the deepest and broadest market for fine wine, and so most trading is executed in the pound sterling.
    — Nicole Goodkind, CNN, 12 July 2023
  • To maximize your wear, skip gold vermeil and instead go for solid pieces made of sterling silver or 14-karat gold.
    — Jake Henry Smith, Glamour, 18 May 2026
  • Our black-rhodium charms are made from sterling silver coated in and black rhodium, which is a member of the platinum family.
    — Meggen Taylor, Forbes, 6 July 2021
  • Choose the length of this necklace, along with the metal (sterling silver, rose-gold plated or gold-plated) to make a name plate that's uniquely theirs.
    — Marisa Lascala, Good Housekeeping, 6 Sep. 2022
  • The company's most popular bracelet starts at around $80 in sterling silver.
    — Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 5 Feb. 2026
  • Everything is made from sterling silver, solid gold and precious or semi-precious stones.
    — Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 27 Jan. 2026
  • There are also gold vermeil styles, which combine a sterling silver base with a gold overlay, and sterling silver hoops plated in gold.
    — Lauren Alexis Fisher, Footwear News, 7 Aug. 2025
  • Gold and silver are so hot that people aren’t just hauling in the family’s sterling silver set or gold bars from Costco.
    — Vanessa Yurkevich, CNN Money, 30 Jan. 2026

sterling

2 of 2 adjective
  • Time will tell, but their offseason is off to a sterling start.
    — Paul Tenorio, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
  • Non-sterling objects produce a dull thud.
    — Tessa Cooper, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 June 2026
  • Plus, a sterling silver band is super easy to polish with a cloth.
    — Jessie Quinn, StyleCaster, 30 Jan. 2026
  • The bet here is that the show has aged better than its already sterling reviews.
    — John Tamny, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
  • Now he’s lost that many in the past month, the nadir so far of an otherwise sterling career.
    — Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 17 Nov. 2023
  • The necklace can be made in sterling silver, 14k gold fill, or rose gold.
    — Sarah Madaus, SELF, 15 Apr. 2022
  • On all the sterling pounds that are in the UK, the Queen's face is on it.
    — Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 13 Sep. 2022
  • The first three acts Friday at First Waltz were all sterling.
    — Matt Wake | [email protected], al, 14 May 2022
  • Their new music marks a sterling comeback for the duo, with some of their most potent music to date.
    — Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 27 May 2022
  • The necklace comes in sterling silver and 14-karat gold vermeil, with two chain lengths and six chain styles.
    — Lisa Boone, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2023
  • Wright, always a team player, makes room for sterling performances.
    — Ken Makin, The Christian Science Monitor, 3 Mar. 2024
  • That happened, of course, when coach Bob Stoops was still in the midst of his sterling 18-year run.
    — Nick Moyle, San Antonio Express-News, 2 Dec. 2021
  • Each is adorned with shagreen leather, sterling silver, and oak reclaimed from old Irish whiskey barrels.
    — Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 4 May 2023
  • That’s a nice complement to his sterling chance-creation and zone-entry profile.
    — Dom Luszczyszyn, New York Times, 3 Mar. 2026
  • This is just a sterling illustration of Rivera acting a number as much as singing it.
    — Elisabeth Vincentelli, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Feb. 2024
  • During dinner one of our dinner companions asked if the flatware was sterling.
    — Amy Dickinson, Detroit Free Press, 11 Aug. 2023
  • Hand carved from wax and cast in solid sterling silver, it can be engraved as a personal memento or a gift.
    — Karin Eldor, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2023
  • These sterling silver disc earrings are the perfect way to show off their zodiac sign in a simple, subtle way.
    — Brittney Morgan, House Beautiful, 9 Dec. 2022
  • After that inglorious start, sterling defense altered the course of the game for the Sox in the top of the third.
    — Alex Speier, BostonGlobe.com, 10 Sep. 2023
  • Despite all of his sterling seasons, the one thing Harbaugh has never won is a championship.
    — Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times, 2 Jan. 2024
  • Artists aren’t exactly famous for their sterling moral character.
    — Deborah Treisman, New Yorker, 1 June 2026
  • Starting with the good, Apple’s fiscal first-quarter results were sterling.
    — Alexei Oreskovic, Fortune, 30 Jan. 2026
  • The promise of that sterling endorsement bloomed this year with Davis’ second solo album.
    — Jenn Pelly, Time, 4 Dec. 2025
  • This is a sterling example of the informational chaos here.
    — Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 23 Dec. 2025
  • There are also gold vermeil styles, which combine a sterling silver base with a gold overlay, and sterling silver hoops plated in gold.
    — Lauren Alexis Fisher, Footwear News, 7 Aug. 2025
  • The home run spoiled an otherwise sterling effort from South’s Brock, who surrendered three hits, walked one and struck out five.
    — Matt Nevala, Anchorage Daily News, 28 July 2021
  • Payton Thorne and the passing offense sputtered back and forth from struggling to sterling multiple times.
    — Chris Solari, Detroit Free Press, 3 Sep. 2022
  • The new ring, crafted from sterling silver, diamonds and sky-blue gemstones, captures that journey while pointing ahead.
    — Asli Pelit, New York Times, 21 Mar. 2026
  • For a young man barely out of school, the Judge provided a steadying influence and a sterling example.
    — New York Times, 14 July 2021
  • While sterling silver julep cups are classic, highball glassware is a great alternative to show off this pretty cocktail.
    — Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 25 Apr. 2026

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sterling.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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