mere·ly
| \ ˈmir-lē
\
\
Definition of merely
: nothing more than : only
was merely trying to help … no boy wanted to be on record as considering a girl a major fox only to discover that she considered him merely cool.— Richard Russo Not merely decorative, the crisscrossing slats and fins variously filter light and provide privacy.— Rob Haskell Many merely desire a pleasant afternoon perusing the exhibitions in their local gallery.— Launt Thompson Many of the deep-sea fishes, for example, have pathetically weak skeletons and terribly flabby bodies—in extreme cases they are the consistency of gelatin and seem to be composed merely of mouth and stomach.— Tim Flannery … because of technology what in the past would have taken days took merely hours.— Lee Child
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“Merely.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/merely. Accessed 3 Mar. 2021.
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Time Traveler for merely
The first known use of merely was circa 1580
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