as in earnest
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Recent Examples of serious-minded
Gore then spent eight years earning a reputation as a smart, serious-minded governing partner to Clinton.
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Time, 3 Nov. 2025
Shane Hollander, the serious-minded captain of the Montreal Meteors, and star and playboy Ilya Rozanov of the Boston Bears are played by Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie, respectively.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2025
In this more serious-minded (and Madea-free) movie from Perry, Idris Elba plays Monty, a hard-working father who loses custody of his daughters to his drug-addled wife (Tasha Smith).
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Sep. 2025
These ads — presented as teasers, TV spots, and a theatrical trailer that seemed to begin as a very serious-minded tribute to Disney’s great history — served as a delightful introduction to a character that would grow to become one of the studio’s most popular.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 23 May 2025
Rather than strain to add an arthouse veneer (or the climactic reveal of an animating trauma), Coogler offers a true synthesis between serious-minded fiction and B-movie camp.
—Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 22 Apr. 2025
This is funny; Misty, a serious-minded statistician, can’t admit to frivolity.
—Alexandra Schwartz, The New Yorker, 17 Mar. 2025
However, the deeper malaise will take some serious-minded action.
—Tim Ellis, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2025
The banter between Hedges and Scherzer lightened a serious-minded Rangers’ clubhouse.
—Ken Rosenthal, The Athletic, 25 Feb. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for serious-minded
Adjective
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The Abbott Elementary actor plays Sheriff Mark Mylow, a deeply earnest man who is dealing with a broken heart after school teacher Louisa Gavin (Abigail Spencer) ended their engagement.—
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The industry loves an inside-out moment, and embracing Disney’s most famous—and famously earnest —mascot offers an opportunity to imbue the 97-year-old cartoon rodent with some real edge.—
Adjective
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The lawsuit names specific brands — including cereals, pizzas, sodas, and potato chips — linking them to serious health problems.—
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Kittle was carted off the field, indicating a serious injury, after he was tackled by safety Marcus Epps at the right sideline.—
Adjective
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Told in direct in introspective prose, Hjorth is able to conjure the creaky overconfidence of adolescence and all its uncertainties.—
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Director Nadia Hallgren had immense access to Obama, following her across a 34-city book tour and turning the introspective writing into a dynamic reflection of the author as the archetypal modern woman.—
Adjective
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With so many comedy writers on the bill, the Broder tribute was no somber affair.—
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As is tradition, all the women were dressed in black ensembles to mark the somber occasion, which commemorates members of the military from Britain and the Commonwealth who have died in battle.—
Adjective
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More than five hours after the crash, there was a solemn procession off of Route 146 led by Massachusetts State Police, followed by the medical examiner and fellow police officers.—
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That this is a serious matter—not slight at all—does not oblige the author of a seriously funny book to be solemn.—
Adjective
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Many white-collar workers will likely face a philosophical reckoning about what AI means for their profession—one that goes beyond fears of layoffs.—
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For Atlanta, the trade signals a full philosophical reset centered on developing rising talent like Jalen Johnson, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Dyson Daniels, Onyeka Okongwu, and rookie Zaccharie Risacher.—
Adjective
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At its softest, Le Bon’s sedate echo-chamber fare threatens to vaporize and disappear.—
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Shore Excursions Excursions offered at each port were mostly sedate—a boat-and-coach combo, a journey on the steep Flam Railway, and chocolate-making lessons were all on offer.—
Cite this Entry
“Serious-minded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/serious-minded. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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