as in naturalism
realistic depiction in art and literature using ordinary people as models, even when depicting the greatest of saints, Caravaggio brought an unforgiving realism to painting that was unprecedented

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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 realism This one, which Garland wrote with former Navy SEAL Ray Mendoza, is an exercise in strict realism, a depiction of a deadly battle in Iraq with meticulous staging and the action proceeding in real time. Taylor Antrim, Vogue, 21 July 2025 Amid the propaganda war at the outset of the real one, realism was misidentified with Putinism and Trumpism. Samuel Moyn, Harpers Magazine, 16 July 2025 Hinkle brings a depth of realism to her portrayal of Patricia, but the character isn’t fully developed. Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 28 June 2025 McPherson’s discursive humanism exactly suits both O’Reilly’s light directorial touch and the confident realism of his company of (largely) Irish actors. Helen Shaw, New Yorker, 11 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for realism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for realism
Noun
  • King of the Hill was no marvel of complicated animation — its designs were built to have a kind of everyman naturalism, and the characters move with little grace.
    Daniel Dockery, Vulture, 7 July 2025
  • That naturalism, in turn, helps viewers and listeners feel more comfortable—although the videos sometimes perch right at the edge of the uncanny valley.
    Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 26 June 2025
Noun
  • But what is exceptional here is how Sandler and Apatow pull from their real lives to give the performance verisimilitude.
    Jesse David Fox, Vulture, 30 July 2025
  • Like a film or a novel, architectural restoration manipulates time, reversing, stopping, and tricking it, all in pursuit of verisimilitude.
    Justin Davidson, Curbed, 10 July 2025

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“Realism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/realism. Accessed 7 Aug. 2025.

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