not really
idiom
—used to say "no" in a way that is not very forceful or definite
"Was the movie good?" "Not really."
"Do you want to go to a movie?" "No, not really."
Examples of not really in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
You’re not really allowed to be ambitious.
—
Marta Balaga, Variety, 14 Feb. 2026
But that’s not really such a head-scratcher in itself.
—Quanta Magazine, 13 Feb. 2026
There were some glimpses that maybe Rollins could stick around in the league last season, but this type of player did not really present itself.
—Zach Harper, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2026
There were no proletarian hearings to denounce a slumlord, who in this case did not really exist.
—Michael Powell, The Atlantic, 11 Feb. 2026
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Marta Balaga, Variety, 14 Feb. 2026
But that’s not really such a head-scratcher in itself.
—Quanta Magazine, 13 Feb. 2026
There were some glimpses that maybe Rollins could stick around in the league last season, but this type of player did not really present itself.
—Zach Harper, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2026
There were no proletarian hearings to denounce a slumlord, who in this case did not really exist.
—Michael Powell, The Atlantic, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for not really
Cite this Entry
“Not really.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/not%20really. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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