as in valiant
feeling or displaying no fear by temperament
he made the manful decision to stick by his friends when everyone else had abandoned them
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Recent Examples of manful
Intermittent fasting was of a piece with an interest in manful self-improvement via stoicism.
—
Molly Fischer, The New Yorker, 24 Apr. 2024
Camping with a rogue dynamiter, Siringo stuck elk horns into two neighboring peaks and claimed to have named the mountains in honor of their manful bond.
—Dan Piepenbring, Harper's Magazine, 14 Aug. 2023
The other deputies smiled, ready to toast the capital with manful drafts of vodka.
—Alex Halberstadt, Town & Country, 9 Oct. 2015
Molly Fischer, The New Yorker, 24 Apr. 2024
Camping with a rogue dynamiter, Siringo stuck elk horns into two neighboring peaks and claimed to have named the mountains in honor of their manful bond.
—Dan Piepenbring, Harper's Magazine, 14 Aug. 2023
The other deputies smiled, ready to toast the capital with manful drafts of vodka.
—Alex Halberstadt, Town & Country, 9 Oct. 2015
Recent Examples of Synonyms for manful
Adjective
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With Steph Curry in street clothes for the second consecutive game while dealing with runner’s knee, the 11-man Golden State put up a valiant effort that resulted in a come-from-behind 101-97 win.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
6 Feb. 2026
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An eight-point halftime lead completely vanished, and after a valiant comeback effort, SMU point guard Boopie Miller’s game-winning shot was blocked at the buzzer.—
Lia Assimakopoulos,
Dallas Morning News,
3 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
After a long and courageous battle with cancer, James passed away on February 11, 2026 leaving behind his devoted wife, Kimberly, and their six wonderful children.—
Jason Pham,
StyleCaster,
11 Feb. 2026
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Braver Angels has created a cross-partisan Civic Scholars Council to explore the meanings of courageous citizenship and examine lessons of America’s civic history from different vantages.—
Harry Boyte,
Twin Cities,
8 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The world must stand with the people of Iran before more of our bravest souls are lost.—
Benjamin Weinthal,
FOXNews.com,
7 Feb. 2026
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Visitors can take a three-hour train from Zurich or Milan or brave the winding mountain passes by car.—
Jessica Sulima,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
These ventures can be heroic, as when Tommie Smith and John Carlos valiantly raised their fists as a Black Power salute in Mexico City in 1968.—
Steve Buckley,
New York Times,
8 Feb. 2026
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Every screening kicked off with a video tribute to him, and each replay drove home the sheer heroic improbability of what Redford had accomplished.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
31 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Tilt and the gallant escort was replaced by a boy too traumatized to leave his mother’s side.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 Jan. 2026
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While Son of Hitler takes plenty of creative liberty when the titular character is recruited to assassinate his famous father for the Allies, the fate of the real-life Loret isn’t so gallant.—
Rosemary Counter,
Vanity Fair,
19 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
A little more than a week and five wins later, his young, talented and fearless team has delivered.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Chen, then 18 years old in his Olympic debut, bounced back in a fearless free skate that moved him into fifth overall.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Manful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/manful. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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