variants
also stoney
as in ruthless
having or showing a lack of sympathy or tender feelings
the judge's stony demeanor didn't raise the defendant's hopes for a more lenient sentence
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of stony
Across this stony landscape, light sometimes falls.
—
Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 23 Jan. 2026
Forgotten animal pens, decaying cages and stony backdrops now sit in various states of abandonment.
—Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 2026
That means the flavor can range from mild and clean to stony or salty, and the intensity of the bubbles also varies from delicate to aggressive.
—Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Jan. 2026
Delectable notes of lemon curd on the nose, citrus blossom, and stony minerality, with peach tart and a drizzle of honey, and a lovely balance of medium body, lots of juicy fruit and crisp acidity.
—Cathrine Todd, Forbes.com, 16 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stony
Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 23 Jan. 2026
Forgotten animal pens, decaying cages and stony backdrops now sit in various states of abandonment.
—Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 2026
That means the flavor can range from mild and clean to stony or salty, and the intensity of the bubbles also varies from delicate to aggressive.
—Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Jan. 2026
Delectable notes of lemon curd on the nose, citrus blossom, and stony minerality, with peach tart and a drizzle of honey, and a lovely balance of medium body, lots of juicy fruit and crisp acidity.
—Cathrine Todd, Forbes.com, 16 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stony
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stony
Adjective
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The film centers on a car rental company owner who accidentally witnesses a murder, making him and his family targets of a ruthless gang.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
17 Mar. 2026
-
Inspired by the book and 2003 Belgian film De zaak Alzheimer, the Fox psychological thriller series trades on Dempsey’s decades of goodwill as a beloved romantic lead to turn a ruthless killer into an antihero worth rooting for.—
Max Gao,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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But the quagmire is made worse by the question of what audiences want in an age of abundant at-home entertainment options, tighter budgets and general fatigue from the merciless grind of modern life.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Mar. 2026
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In between, the Ball Arena patrons were merciless in their jeering of the officials.—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Ubers are typically available in-season, but may be harder to get during odd hours or bad weather.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
21 Mar. 2026
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The team is also developing a next-generation robotic hand to address swelling in harder-to-treat areas, expanding the potential of soft-robotic therapy beyond wearable sleeves.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
21 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Residents describe the smell as a harsh chemical paint smell, similar to the smell in a nail salon.—
Jessica Riley,
CBS News,
20 Mar. 2026
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Hardliners appeared to consolidate power in Iran as a result of US and Israeli air strikes, with experts fearing restrictions on dissent could be even harsher.—
Jeronimo Gonzalez,
semafor.com,
19 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Iran, with its massive military capabilities, its oil wealth, its appetite for regional hegemony and its obdurate Islamism may have been the foremost obstacle to Israel’s integration into the region since 1979.—
Ron Kampeas,
Sun Sentinel,
2 Mar. 2026
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Despite the deluge of new data, the megaliths had given up none of their obdurate strangeness.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
24 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stony.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stony. Accessed 21 Mar. 2026.
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