as in sarcastic
marked by the use of clever and often dark humor
The writer had a wry wit that was something of an acquired taste.
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Recent Examples of wry
Perhaps Cronin’s biggest ally in his bid to keep coaching is his wry sense of humor.
—
Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 13 Dec. 2024
From time to time over the years, polls and pollsters have piqued the wit and wry humor of many cartoonists.
—W. Joseph Campbell, Fortune, 29 Oct. 2024
But though there are wry laughs to be had, from the exquisite awkwardness of the setup alone, Babygirl was received by many as a comedy, which trivializes the extraordinary atmosphere that Reijn creates.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 30 Aug. 2024
Though the subject matter is serious, the execution is wry, especially when Martin’s mother Linda (Lisa Kudrow, sharply hilarious) chimes in.
—Tanya Melendez, EW.com, 6 Apr. 2024
See All Example Sentences for wry
Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 13 Dec. 2024
From time to time over the years, polls and pollsters have piqued the wit and wry humor of many cartoonists.
—W. Joseph Campbell, Fortune, 29 Oct. 2024
But though there are wry laughs to be had, from the exquisite awkwardness of the setup alone, Babygirl was received by many as a comedy, which trivializes the extraordinary atmosphere that Reijn creates.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 30 Aug. 2024
Though the subject matter is serious, the execution is wry, especially when Martin’s mother Linda (Lisa Kudrow, sharply hilarious) chimes in.
—Tanya Melendez, EW.com, 6 Apr. 2024
See All Example Sentences for wry
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wry
Adjective
-
While the jeers towards Xhaka followed the midfielder, Arsenal’s captain at the time, retaliating to sarcastic cheers from the crowd at him being replaced in an October 2019 home match against Crystal Palace, those directed at Eboue were due to his performance.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
14 May 2025
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His first half was littered with increasingly ridiculous highlights: a lefty hook over Isaiah Hartenstein, a potpourri of 3s with hands in his face, a sarcastic stare-down after his defender tried taking a charge, followed by a pass to himself off the backboard to simplify the finish.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
13 May 2025
Adjective
-
The barn jacket makes for a stylish layering piece, which is perfect to bring along for cool nights around the bonfire or brisk boat rides.—
Izzy Baskette,
People.com,
23 May 2025
-
Mike Dunleavy Reveals Big Offseason Roster Goal Now, after a brisk five-game defeat to the Minnesota Timberwolves (mostly without their best player, Stephen Curry, who went down in Game 1 with a hamstring strain), the Warriors face an uncertain offseason.—
Alex Kirschenbaum,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 May 2025
Adjective
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The inmates used blankets to protect themselves from the barbed wire on the fence.—
Alex Sundby,
CBS News,
21 May 2025
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The men brought blankets to protect themselves from barbed wire.—
Cindy Von Quednow,
CNN Money,
20 May 2025
Adjective
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Is this a cynical attempt to rescue their party from a political free fall?—
John Opdycke,
The Orlando Sentinel,
21 May 2025
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And so Lee’s reinterpretation strains to leave us on a high instead of a low, as befits the finale of an update so compellingly eager to flip the script on one of Kurosawa’s most cynical films.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
19 May 2025
Adjective
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But when Afrikaners began to take a serious interest in Mr. Trump’s refugee program, the biting remarks were unleashed.—
Zimasa Matiwane,
New York Times,
22 May 2025
-
Katy Perry is continuing to catch strays, this time from the most biting demographic of all: the pop girlie fandom.—
Jessica Wang,
EW.com,
2 May 2025
Adjective
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President Donald Trump's administration is also keen to increase energy exports to India to address a U.S. trade deficit of well over $45 billion in 2024.—
Danish Manzoor Bhat,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 May 2025
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Most executives interviewed by KFF Health News — in the hospital, insurance, tech, and consultancy fields — were keen to emphasize that AI would complement humans, not replace them.—
Kff Health News,
Oc Register,
22 May 2025
Adjective
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And if later Destinations would perfect the whole falling-dominos-of-death thing, did any of them pull off a more iconic, ironic jolt than poor Terry fatally failing to look both ways?—
A.A. Dowd,
Vulture,
19 May 2025
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That such a straightforwardly earnest candidate would emerge as a favorite of the downtown world may seem unlikely: This set has been characterized as everything from reactionary to right-wing, and above all, governed by a certain ironic sensibility.—
Joseph Bernstein,
New York Times,
17 May 2025
Adjective
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In the Colorado River Basin, April and May were very dry.—
Ian James,
Los Angeles Times,
30 May 2025
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These innocuous-seeming actions can kindle dry vegetation, potentially spawning a wildfire.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
30 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wry.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wry. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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