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
Famed for launching Downton Abbey, the network has been courting sale interest for well over a year, but for all the industry chatter and press speculation, ITV’s silence has been stony.
—
Max Goldbart, Deadline, 8 Nov. 2025
The Fife Arms, Braemar, UK Fife Arms can seem imposing at first—the hotel has the figure of a classic Highland hunting lodge-turned-hostelry, stalwart and stony.
—Judy Koutsky, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Nov. 2025
Kevin Lamarque | Reuters There was a stony silence from Moscow a day after the U.S. President Donald Trump criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin and slapped punishing sanctions on Russia’s two largest oil companies.
—Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 23 Oct. 2025
However, these tests have produced mixed results, probably because of regional differences in stony coral tissue loss disease.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for stony
Max Goldbart, Deadline, 8 Nov. 2025
The Fife Arms, Braemar, UK Fife Arms can seem imposing at first—the hotel has the figure of a classic Highland hunting lodge-turned-hostelry, stalwart and stony.
—Judy Koutsky, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Nov. 2025
Kevin Lamarque | Reuters There was a stony silence from Moscow a day after the U.S. President Donald Trump criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin and slapped punishing sanctions on Russia’s two largest oil companies.
—Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 23 Oct. 2025
However, these tests have produced mixed results, probably because of regional differences in stony coral tissue loss disease.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for stony
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stony
Adjective
-
For the first time, the defense attorney becomes the defendant, forced to fight for his own freedom while facing off against ruthless prosecutor Dana Berg (Constance Zimmer).—
Veronica Villafañe,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
And, as part of the deal, city planners aim to update development protocols to meet the challenges of a more ruthless wildfire regime.—
Mark Dee
January 27,
Idaho Statesman,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
But the Warriors, driven by the merciless ticking clock of Curry’s career, are desperate.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
28 Jan. 2026
-
In the film, Leonardo DiCaprio plays Bob Ferguson, a former revolutionary who must save his teenage daughter after she’s kidnapped by the merciless army officer, Colonel Lockjaw (played by Sean Penn).—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
21 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Bigger deals are harder to come by because of the current regulatory environment, Konanahalli said.—
Amelia Lucas,
CNBC,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Also, the cold weather is forecast to get much worse from Sunday, with temperatures dropping even further and making the time frame for a pause in attacks hard to understand.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
31 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Before Getting Started When cleaning your oven, try to avoid using harsh oven cleaners or using the self-cleaning feature.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
29 Jan. 2026
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The origin of clemency is understood through the Federalist Papers as a need for mercy in instances when the criminal justice system was too harsh.—
Kinsey Crowley,
USA Today,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Despite the deluge of new data, the megaliths had given up none of their obdurate strangeness.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
24 Nov. 2025
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Or perhaps this is the perfect opportunity to become obdurate, go weird and dive into the B-sides and deep cuts.—
Daniel Dylan Wray,
Pitchfork,
5 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stony.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stony. Accessed 3 Feb. 2026.
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