WIRY Synonyms: 84 Similar and Opposite Words

wiry

adjective

Definition of wiry

as in scrawny

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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 wiry Nick Boyd, guard, 6-1, Wisconsin A wiry guard who, like Saunders above, is already 25 years old, Boyd’s stat profile doesn’t jump off the page. — John Hollinger, New York Times, 20 June 2026 Those themes are compelling on paper, but they’re expressed through a confusing mix of abstraction and hyper-local specificity, hidden beneath biker rock riffs, and obscured through Allbrook’s wiry, wailing vocal delivery. — Cassidy Sollazzo, Pitchfork, 19 June 2026 Chapin, the mechanic on the Shawmut crew, was a wiry 6-footer with a winking sense of humor and a penchant for machine-shop patter peppered with gleeful profanity, a likable 26-year-old who’d been a reliable factory hand and test driver before the fire. — Eric Moskowitz, The Atlantic, 31 May 2026 The tension between the two boils over into a confrontation which only Eisenhower can adjudicate, a task complicated by his own arrogant British subordinate, a wiry and dislikable General Bernard Montgomery - played with a villainous verve bordering on the pantomime by Damian Lewis. — Daniel Jonah Wolpert, NPR, 29 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for wiry

Recent Examples of Synonyms for wiry

Adjective

And who can say for sure whether twilight is the arrival of some dark night or the coming of the dawn, or whether a scrawny boy’s shoulder blades might really be the nubs of angel wings, or where, if anywhere, any of us will find new life.

— Casey Cep, New Yorker, 9 May 2026
In a Broadway season notable for the strength of its musical revivals, there has been some concern that the best new musical Tony Award category might be particularly scrawny this year.

— Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2026

Definition of scrawny

Adjective

At the center of it all is Brent Charles’ sinewy Caius Martius Coriolanus, who runs through the play like a human scythe.

— Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026
Theron, meanwhile, hurls herself into the sinewy action sequences that have increasingly been her home turf over the past two decades, flinging herself down hills and into rivers and navigating some precarious rock-climbing terrain.

— Alison Willmore, Vulture, 24 Apr. 2026

Definition of sinewy

Adjective

Mitsouko softened Chypre’s rawboned extremes, imparting a creamy peach glow to the whole.

— Noy Thrupkaew, Washington Post, 21 Apr. 2021
Kirschling, a rawboned young man from Wisconsin, had written a master’s thesis at Columbia about long-term productivity decline in New York City’s mass transit.

— William Finnegan, The New Yorker, 2 July 2018

Definition of rawboned

Adjective

Adding non-starchy vegetables, lean protein, and healthy fats to pasta salad or potato salad can reduce their glycemic impact.

— Anna Giorgi, Verywell Health, 6 July 2026
Created in consultation with nutritionist and food consultant Ankita Jalori, the dishes on offer use millets, whole grains, lean proteins like chicken and fish, and low-fat dairy options, such as goat milk.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 July 2026

Definition of lean

Adjective

The water pressure then causes the vehicle to rise and slide on a thin layer of water between the tires and the road, making the driver lose control.

— STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 July 2026
Sprinkle the entire rug with a thin layer of baking soda and wait 20 minutes.

— Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 5 July 2026

Definition of thin

Browse Nearby Words

wirra

wiry

wisdom

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“Wiry.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wiry. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of wiry

adjective

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