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
Well, not really bonds, but bills, which the Fed will start buying again come Friday.
—
Jeff Cox, CNBC, 10 Dec. 2025
There’s not really much difference between this world and the real one, other than the girls running derbies on two legs at superhuman speed.
—Kambole Campbell, Vulture, 9 Dec. 2025
There’s not really any other way to put it.
—Drew Broussard, Literary Hub, 8 Dec. 2025
That’s not really even up for debate.
—James Boyd, New York Times, 1 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for not really
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Jeff Cox, CNBC, 10 Dec. 2025
There’s not really much difference between this world and the real one, other than the girls running derbies on two legs at superhuman speed.
—Kambole Campbell, Vulture, 9 Dec. 2025
There’s not really any other way to put it.
—Drew Broussard, Literary Hub, 8 Dec. 2025
That’s not really even up for debate.
—James Boyd, New York Times, 1 Dec. 2025
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 19 Dec. 2025.
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