clearly

adverb

clear·​ly ˈklir-lē 

1

: in a clear manner

speaking clearly

2

: it is clear

clearly, a new approach is needed

Synonyms of clearly

• certainly
• definitely
• surely
• sure
• probably
• really

Examples of clearly in a Sentence

You should try to speak more clearly.

The mountain was clearly visible in the distance.

The problem is very clearly getting worse.

“A new approach is needed.” “Clearly.”

“The current method isn't working.” “Clearly not.”

Recent Examples on the Web

While elements of his defensive flaws are overplayed, Tuchel has clearly felt that his negatives outweigh the positives. —The Athletic Uk Staff, New York Times, 13 May 2026

Some lightning occurs deep within clouds or is too weak to register clearly from orbit. —Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 12 May 2026

Dark sky tourism is travel built around visiting places with little to no light pollution, where visitors can clearly see stars, the Milky Way, meteor showers, auroras and other celestial events. —Hanna Wickes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 May 2026

Since that moment, the trajectory has remained solidly positive, with the blue line pushing clearly above the yellow signal line to confirm the strength of this new upward momentum. —Nishant Pant, CNBC, 12 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for clearly

• dearly
• merely
• nearly
• queerly
• yearly
• austerely
• severely
• sincerely
• cavalierly

Kids Definition

clearly

adverb

clear·​ly ˈkli(ə)r-lē 

1

: in a clear manner

was clearly visible

2

: without doubt or question

clearly something had to be done