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
Which is to say that when done honestly, the reader creates alongside the writer, and ChatGPT-3 can’t ever really read, not really.
—
Literary Hub, 21 Jan. 2026
Those comments have caused a lot of confusion and angst among European governments—many of whom have sent small military contingents to Greenland, not really as a show of force as much as a signal of disapproval.
—Connor Okeeffe, Oc Register, 21 Jan. 2026
Even the language of the au pair program itself is not really representative of reality.
—Annika Pham, Variety, 21 Jan. 2026
That’s not really specific, but just dying while trying to do something very daredevil.
—Maria Bamford, Vulture, 20 Jan. 2026
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Literary Hub, 21 Jan. 2026
Those comments have caused a lot of confusion and angst among European governments—many of whom have sent small military contingents to Greenland, not really as a show of force as much as a signal of disapproval.
—Connor Okeeffe, Oc Register, 21 Jan. 2026
Even the language of the au pair program itself is not really representative of reality.
—Annika Pham, Variety, 21 Jan. 2026
That’s not really specific, but just dying while trying to do something very daredevil.
—Maria Bamford, Vulture, 20 Jan. 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 30 Jan. 2026.
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