1
as in just
as stated or indicated without the slightest difference we will meet at exactly six o'clock

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
3
as in directly
in the same words a plagiarism suit alleging that one historian had copied large segments of another's text exactly

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

4
as in strictly
without any relaxation of standards or precision follow the rules exactly and you won't get into trouble

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

5
6

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of exactly In fact, it's all done rather haphazardly, but with inherent purpose, which is exactly how a true Southern cook runs a kitchen. Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 20 Oct. 2025 Being alive at the slop tipping point doesn’t feel like an emergency, exactly, but more like slowly giving over to a pervasive disorientation. Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 20 Oct. 2025 The report also says officials should better track exactly how long delays in processing applications go on. Mary Ramsey, Charlotte Observer, 20 Oct. 2025 But what exactly makes Costco Costco? Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for exactly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exactly
Adverb
  • A week later, Cleveland scored just nine points and Gabriel struggled mightily in a game against Pittsburgh in which Judkins was held to three yards per carry.
    Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 17 Oct. 2025
  • Nelson put the Avs in front with his first goal of the season just 72 seconds after Makar’s tally.
    Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 17 Oct. 2025
Adverb
  • That’s precisely what’s happened for the upstart Indianapolis Colts offense.
    Robert Mays, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025
  • This willfully blinkered vision, or, more precisely, reëlection platform, ignores the cost in global opinion along with the moral and political fractures within Israel itself.
    David Remnick, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2025
Adverb
  • Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 18 Oct. 2025
  • In 2022, He was promoted directly to vice-chair of the military commission, skipping the usual step of serving on the 205-member Central Committee.
    CNN Money, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2025
Adverb
  • Carroccia strictly questioned the 20-year-old accuser’s definition of consent during the trial, according to reports.
    Sean Neumann, PEOPLE, 17 Oct. 2025
  • Not strictly a boon for the economy, bust for the ecology, the future of lithium extraction includes a lower-impact direct lithium extraction could significantly reduce the environmental footprint.
    Laura Dannen Redman, Robb Report, 16 Oct. 2025
Adverb
  • Until Slot settles on a right-back option, the short-term message is quite clear for Premier League opposition analysts — target Liverpool’s right flank.
    Mark Carey, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
  • On one level its assessment can be quite subjective, and there’s a degree of connoisseurship.
    JSTOR Daily, JSTOR Daily, 16 Oct. 2025
Adverb
  • Moments later, O’Brien came away with an interception and the Cougars began marching right back up the field.
    Brendan Connelly, Boston Herald, 17 Oct. 2025
  • Here’s some light Thursday pregame prep, with head-to-head history and B-sides to set Week 7 off right.
    Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
Adverb
  • And a fourth-quarter catch-and-run from tight end Theo Johnson — on a pass that popped into the air off the hands of Wan’Dale Robinson — perfectly summed up the day, as Johnson put rookie corner Jahdae Barron in the turf for good measure.
    Luca Evans, Denver Post, 20 Oct. 2025
  • Mac did a great ball, perfectly on time.
    Michael Nowels, Mercury News, 20 Oct. 2025
Adverb
  • These efforts demonstrated that such an approach could work, but not everyone in the field was sure that an algorithm could accurately adjust insulin delivery based on glucose levels, says Boris Kovatchev, an engineer and director of the University of Virginia Center for Diabetes Technology.
    Carrie Arnold, Scientific American, 14 Oct. 2025
  • In Nome, there are two balloons being launched per day, but communications issues flared up in the few days prior to the storm, preventing weather data from being accurately and completely transmitted back to the NWS, Thoman said.
    Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Exactly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exactly. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on exactly

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!