1
as in especially
in regard to something mentioned explicitly or in detail
the supplementary material was specially intended to address earlier accusations of cultural bias
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in extremely
to a great degree
a specially gifted pianist
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 specially
Match officials will also wear strips designed specially for the occasion.
—
Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026
At the Troubadour, her skirt was specially made to show a 1960s vision of Hollywood that notably featured the Capitol Tower, possibly to put a smile on the face of all the Capitol execs who were showing up to see their new star in action.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 5 Mar. 2026
Highlights of the trip will include specially curated onboard programming including live shows highlighting iconic American genres and composers.
—Susan B. Barnes, Travel + Leisure, 4 Mar. 2026
Besides the inevitable Leonard Bernstein, Aaron Copland and George Gershwin, there’s the world premiere of five works by American composers specially commissioned for this occasion by Orchestra Lumos.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 26 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for specially
Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026
At the Troubadour, her skirt was specially made to show a 1960s vision of Hollywood that notably featured the Capitol Tower, possibly to put a smile on the face of all the Capitol execs who were showing up to see their new star in action.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 5 Mar. 2026
Highlights of the trip will include specially curated onboard programming including live shows highlighting iconic American genres and composers.
—Susan B. Barnes, Travel + Leisure, 4 Mar. 2026
Besides the inevitable Leonard Bernstein, Aaron Copland and George Gershwin, there’s the world premiere of five works by American composers specially commissioned for this occasion by Orchestra Lumos.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 26 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for specially
Recent Examples of Synonyms for specially
Adverb
-
The Heat’s defense was especially dominant at the start, limiting the Cavaliers to just 19 points in the first quarter.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Moscow’s support for Tehran is likely to further escalate tensions with the West and especially the US.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
26 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
The particles that make up these dark nebulae are of a finite size, and that size is extremely good at absorbing visible light.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
26 Mar. 2026
-
David’s view The voters most keen to talk with political reporters are, typically, extremely engaged in politics.—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
26 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
Fear, isolation in the fields, language barriers, and immigration status continue to make farmworkers particularly vulnerable to exploitation.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
23 Mar. 2026
-
The votes mark incremental progress toward resolving at least some of the vacancies that have fueled the dispute, particularly in Utah, where Holyoak’s interim status has become a flashpoint in the broader fight.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
22 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
After all, a sandy dance floor calls for a very different footwear strategy than a reception set atop a stone terrace—if shoes are required at all.—
Sarah Zendejas,
Vogue,
22 Mar. 2026
-
The start of the day seemed very normal to me.—
Peter Van Sant,
CBS News,
22 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
The system was specifically designed with high-volume threats like Iran’s Shahed-136 and Russia’s Geran-2 in mind — drones that are cheap to produce and difficult to counter economically with traditional interceptor missiles.—
Munis Raza,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Hegseth’s statement, specifically stating that any company that works with Anthropic cannot also do business with DoW, was a focus of Tuesday’s hearing.—
Mike Brest,
The Washington Examiner,
25 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
Graduate forward Marta Suárez acknowledged that TCU would have to contend with a strong Washington team, but pointed out that the Horned Frogs’ own highly potent offense had to be dealt with.—
Lawrence Dow,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
22 Mar. 2026
-
While these planets are expected to be extremely cold, their moons may experience intense tidal heating if their orbits become highly elongated.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
22 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
There are numerous non-Korean producers and singer-songwriters throughout the album, and while this isn’t something unusual for a K-pop release, there’s plenty of overlap with those who made JENNIE’s sleek solo debut Ruby, most notably Diplo.—
Joshua Minsoo Kim,
Pitchfork,
24 Mar. 2026
-
And yet Ukraine had its successes, most notably its strikes on Russian fuel depots and Operation Spiderweb, in which drones launched from trucks within Russia’s borders hit four air bases.—
Olivier Kempf,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
Our aviation system is incredibly safe because there are multiple, multiple layers of defense built in to prevent an accident.—
Jeff Capellini,
CBS News,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Herbs like basil, mint, and parsley are incredibly easy to grow and add fresh flavor to your meals.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Charlotte Observer,
24 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Specially.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/specially. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
