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

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said Tehran had clearly communicated its demands. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 3 Nov. 2026

The Daily Caller is clearly positioning itself for a landscape not just post-midterms but post- Trump, and for a bitter and intensifying intra-party media battle. — Max Tani, semafor.com, 2 Nov. 2026

But the global sale of diesel and the resulting revenue would clearly benefit Russia in its war efforts. — Tom Jurkowsky, Baltimore Sun, 2 Nov. 2026

While the technology is clearly highly useful to law enforcement, safeguards against its misuse must be put into place. — Edward Longe, Washington Post, 2 Nov. 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