solely

adverb

sole·ly | \ ˈsō(l)-lē

How to pronounce solely (audio)

\

Definition of solely

1 : to the exclusion of all else done solely for money

2 : without another : singly went solely on her way

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Examples of solely in a Sentence

His rank was based solely on merit. You will be held solely responsible for any damage. She did not write solely for money.

Recent Examples on the Web Hundreds of communities in the state still rely solely on groundwater. — Morgan Greene, chicagotribune.com, "50 miles away from one of the largest freshwater systems on Earth, why is groundwater running out in northeastern Illinois?," 26 Feb. 2021 Contee laid the blame for the slow deployment of the National Guard solely on the Defense Department, noting that the Army had expressed reluctance to send in the troops as the violence escalated. — Democrat-gazette Staff From Wire Reports, Arkansas Online, "Not told of riot threat, ex-lawmen testify," 24 Feb. 2021 Based solely on schedule, Elk River, Farmington, Mayo and Stillwater will be clear favorites through the remainder of the regular season. — Jim Paulsen, Star Tribune, "Plenty to watch in Minnesota high school sports as March nears," 22 Feb. 2021 Studies show that killing these deer solely on the basis of selective harvest (rather than for the traditional reasons of fun, meat, etc.) is ultimately a waste of a good buck tag. — Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, "Quit Worrying About Genetics: How Successful Deer Hunters Think About Antler Growth, Cull Bucks, and Passing Good Deer," 22 Feb. 2021 They are focused solely on mending the labor market. — John Greenwood, WSJ, "The Money Boom Is Already Here," 21 Feb. 2021 In Europe, however, Ford's entire passenger vehicle lineup will run solely on batteries by 2030. — Morgan Korn, ABC News, "Why 2021 is shaping up to be a pivotal year for electric vehicles," 21 Feb. 2021 The latest theory on Reddit is focused solely on Beth's fate: One Reddit user believes that the steadiness in Beth and Rip's relationship throughout season 3 may have been a sign all along that there was a tragedy on the horizon. — Amanda Garrity, Good Housekeeping, "'Yellowstone' Fans Have an Interesting Theory About Beth Dutton's Fate in Season 4," 14 Feb. 2021 An invitation to the GOP senators to meet at the White House came hours after the lawmakers sent Biden a letter on Sunday urging him to negotiate rather than try to ram through his relief package solely on Democratic votes. — Lisa Mascaro, Chron, "Biden meets Republicans as Democrats push on for virus aid," 1 Feb. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'solely.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

28 Feb 2021

Cite this Entry

“Solely.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/solely. Accessed 3 Mar. 2021.

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More Definitions for solely

solely

adverb

English Language Learners Definition of solely

: without anything or anyone else involved

: only or just

See the full definition for solely in the English Language Learners Dictionary

solely

adverb

sole·ly | \ ˈsōl-lē

\

Kids Definition of solely

1 : without another involved : alone The decision is solely yours.

2 : only entry 2 sense 2 Sort the blocks solely by color.

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