How to Use steely in a Sentence

steely

adjective
  • She gave him a steely gaze.
  • He had a steely determination to succeed.
  • That steely-eyed gaze said this wasn’t just a game.
    — Jayson Stark, New York Times, 15 Jan. 2026
  • Kane's steely blue eyes fell to a disc that was resting in the staffer's hand.
    — David Gambacorta, Esquire, 16 Aug. 2016
  • Hewitt turned around and gave Williams a steely glare and replied.
    — Mike Bianchi, orlandosentinel.com, 2 Dec. 2020
  • There’s a steely core behind that beaming smile.
    — James Wallace, New York Times, 22 Sep. 2025
  • Thanks to science and some steely nerves, that didn’t happen.
    — Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 1 Sep. 2020
  • Russell played the steely zealot, and Rhys the warm one, full of doubts.
    — Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2025
  • Her steely work ethic was of a first-to-arrive and last-to-leave ethos.
    — Rosemary Feitelberg, WWD, 23 Dec. 2024
  • His steely eyes, formerly clear as split glass, turned lake-like, opaque.
    — Literary Hub, 5 Jan. 2026
  • Still, Green, a keen and steely talent, puts them — and us — through hell.
    — Amy Nicholson, Variety, 16 Sep. 2023
  • Outside, a steely sky and yellow birch trees marked a new season.
    — Iris Samuels, Anchorage Daily News, 11 Sep. 2022
  • Beneath the surface of wide-eyed smiles and laughs lies a steely resolve.
    — Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Aug. 2024
  • His bright blue eyes, which are often crinkled in laughter, are steely.
    — Michelle Bruton, Forbes, 22 May 2021
  • His eyes are steely, his face weathered by each bruising chapter of his life.
    — Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 7 Feb. 2026
  • But the hostess gift did not seem to thaw the monarch’s steely veneer during the meal.
    — Julie Miller, HWD, 8 Dec. 2017
  • Yet even with that freedom, baseball’s steely culture keeps change in check.
    — John Cairney, Sportico.com, 15 Apr. 2025
  • Over the past 900 years, plant life has struggled to take hold in the steely ground.
    — Mare Czinar, azcentral, 12 June 2018
  • Nights are for cowering in the cold and rain while clinging to steely straight basalt cliffs.
    — Craig Welch, National Geographic, 28 Mar. 2019
  • Baker, a dark-haired man with a steely gaze, appears in a few of the archival images.
    — The New Yorker, 26 Apr. 2022
  • Sheinbaum, known for her cool, steely demeanor, sought to play down his comments.
    — Mary Beth Sheridan, CNN Money, 9 Jan. 2026
  • Instead of black, opt for a cool steely blue that possesses depth but evokes a sense of calm.
    — Maria Sabella, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Mar. 2025
  • His glare was still there, steely and intentional.
    — Troy Renck, Denver Post, 28 May 2026
  • Of the three, McGuinness was the most steely and direct.
    — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 29 Oct. 2025
  • At the center is a steely rendering of a funnel with bees spilling over the edge.
    — Victoria Dalkey, sacbee, 22 June 2018
  • In Israel, the shock of the strike has given way to a steely resolve.
    — Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 11 Oct. 2023
  • Kim Jong Un isn’t the only steely-eyed missile man these days.
    — Matt Peterson, The Atlantic, 2 June 2017
  • Just a steely look into the striker’s eyes and a sniff to smell his intentions.
    — Jack Lang, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2026
  • He is dressed sumptuously in red, with an aquiline profile and a steely gaze.
    — Judith Thurman, The New Yorker, 13 Sep. 2021
  • In some anti-light folks, the flashing fueled a steely resolve.
    — oregonlive, 31 Jan. 2020

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

Last Updated: