as in athletic
strongly and heavily built
a burly delivery man brought the furniture
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of burly
The burly forward made 12 of 15 shots and kept the Wildcats in the game with 19 points in the first half.
—
ABC News, 8 Mar. 2026
The Thule runs a little taller and wider than your average stroller thanks to its burly rear wheels and stocky frame.
—Erica Zazo, Outside, 20 Feb. 2026
Most trophy pictures are of happy players on the podium or big burly men kissing the reflective surface.
—Emily Jan, San Francisco Chronicle, 11 Feb. 2026
Reporters flowed to Sullivan, Maine, for an audience with the burly oysterman (just as soon as they were done with the Jesus-loving Democrat in Texas).
—Mark Leibovich, The Atlantic, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for burly
ABC News, 8 Mar. 2026
The Thule runs a little taller and wider than your average stroller thanks to its burly rear wheels and stocky frame.
—Erica Zazo, Outside, 20 Feb. 2026
Most trophy pictures are of happy players on the podium or big burly men kissing the reflective surface.
—Emily Jan, San Francisco Chronicle, 11 Feb. 2026
Reporters flowed to Sullivan, Maine, for an audience with the burly oysterman (just as soon as they were done with the Jesus-loving Democrat in Texas).
—Mark Leibovich, The Atlantic, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for burly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for burly
Adjective
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After retiring from coaching, Conradt remained with UT’s athletic department in an advisor role.—
Lia Assimakopoulos,
Dallas Morning News,
29 Mar. 2026
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Or that the athletic department costs $11 million to operate, but generates $33 million in tuition from students who’d likely be somewhere else if their sport were not offered there?—
Dom Amore,
Hartford Courant,
29 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Amid a drumbeat of disclosures that begin to exact consequences for some powerful people — particularly Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, Britain's former Prince Andrew — Congress passed legislation to force the Justice Department to disclose its investigative files on Epstein.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 Apr. 2026
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The two women’s powerful, mysterious bond is sketched in sharp yet subtle dramatic strokes that are all the more thrilling for their breathless rapidity.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Several husky owners echoed how quickly the screams can escalate.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
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One such pet, Lainey, a husky shepherd, was found after going missing in Arizona with the help of a neighbor's Ring camera.—
Melina Khan,
USA Today,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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But Dodge desperately needs a proper high-volume SUV; that aging midsize can’t carry the brand on its (admittedly beefy) shoulders forever.—
Byron Hurd,
The Drive,
1 Apr. 2026
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It's beefy enough to support three 4K outputs simultaneously, and runs surprisingly quietly.—
K. Thor Jensen,
PC Magazine,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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And in their place, a weed can grow into a mighty oak.—
Tyler Erzberger,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Marvin’s a cute little mushroom living in a cozy home beneath a mighty cedar tree.—
Mary Ann Grossmann,
Twin Cities,
28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
With tribe immunity at a premium in these early episodes, the targets may well be the players known as brainy schemers rather than brawny athletes.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
25 Feb. 2026
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Gone are the days of a brawny construction worker or brainy engineer stepping up to build a sturdy shelter, winning the admiration (or the loathing) of their new tribemates.—
Kristen Geil,
Outside,
24 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Ejiofor managed 18 points against Kansas’ hulking frontcourt, albeit on 6-of-14 shooting.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
26 Mar. 2026
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There are no hulking buffets or elbow-throwing brunch lines either; meals are seated, elegant and made to order, from Maine lobster pasta to seared foie gras and sashimi salads.—
Elycia Rubin,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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He's been deemed good to go and joins a stout rotation that this season will include Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Cristopher Sánchez and Jesús Luzardo.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Keuilian, a stout, bearded fifty-one-year-old, founded Fit Body Boot Camp, a global personal-training franchise, in 2010, and now lives in Chino Hills, California.—
Charles Bethea,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Burly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/burly. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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