as in real
existing in fact and not merely as a possibility
the actual outcome of the election was quite different from what everybody had expected
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Recent Examples of actual
Having arrived to find there is no actual war, the competing scribes then set about creating one on the pages of their newspapers.
—
Dan Fesperman
july 22, Literary Hub, 22 July 2025
Visitors can explore the fort, which is a replica of the original and is one of few forts reconstructed to its actual size.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 22 July 2025
The air feels less humid, with dew point temperatures often in the 40s, and there’s little actual rainfall.
—Hayleigh Evans, AZCentral.com, 22 July 2025
The actual production of the show is also driving an economic boom.
—Opheli Garcia Lawler, Travel + Leisure, 10 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for actual
Dan Fesperman
july 22, Literary Hub, 22 July 2025
Visitors can explore the fort, which is a replica of the original and is one of few forts reconstructed to its actual size.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 22 July 2025
The air feels less humid, with dew point temperatures often in the 40s, and there’s little actual rainfall.
—Hayleigh Evans, AZCentral.com, 22 July 2025
The actual production of the show is also driving an economic boom.
—Opheli Garcia Lawler, Travel + Leisure, 10 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for actual
Recent Examples of Synonyms for actual
Adjective
-
This straightforward mental technique might give future retirees a measurable edge with real financial impact.—
Wes Moss,
Forbes.com,
22 July 2025
-
Explore the challenges of bringing Stitch into the real world, how the familiar images of the original were recreated, and join returning cast members on a set that embodies ‘ohana.—
Alexis Simmerman,
Austin American Statesman,
22 July 2025
Adjective
-
The factual takeaway is that prior S&P 500 returns have averaged to 8.27%.—
Catherine Brock,
Forbes.com,
31 July 2025
-
To Holmes, much of the information being obscured is factual, not political.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
26 July 2025
Adjective
-
This was certainly true of the Mets last summer when Taylor played his way into the lineup more consistently than Harrison Bader.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
26 July 2025
-
This rings especially true for me, a vegetarian for nearly two decades.—
Conçetta Ciarlo,
Vogue,
26 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Actual.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/actual. Accessed 3 Aug. 2025.
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