1
as in honestly
to tell the truth
actually, I'd rather spend the evening at home
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in really
in actual fact
I call her Aunt Emily, but she is actually my cousin, not my aunt
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of actually
Of course, in this town, a lot of people have heard of Todd Young, because he's actually been a workhorse, he's gotten a lot done.
—
CBS News, 7 June 2026
That’s what needs to be done to actually help us.
—NBC news, 7 June 2026
Surprisingly, writing is actually Vaughan’s second career.
—Stephen Schaefer, Boston Herald, 7 June 2026
At the same time, 25 states actually lost jobs.
—Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 7 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for actually
CBS News, 7 June 2026
That’s what needs to be done to actually help us.
—NBC news, 7 June 2026
Surprisingly, writing is actually Vaughan’s second career.
—Stephen Schaefer, Boston Herald, 7 June 2026
At the same time, 25 states actually lost jobs.
—Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 7 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for actually
Recent Examples of Synonyms for actually
Adverb
-
The possibilities felt endless and, honestly, overwhelming.—
Carly Tagen-Dye,
PEOPLE,
8 June 2026
-
That story of American exceptionalism deserves to be told honestly and proudly.—
Kathy Szeliga,
Baltimore Sun,
8 June 2026
Adverb
-
Narvaez is the best defensive catcher of the bunch and has been great against lefties, but Wong has seen his playing time really dry up.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
7 June 2026
-
Finding the police at our place, then, wasn’t really a surprise, and my pulse returned to its usual rhythm, oddly calmed by the fact that the dread had finally left my heart.—
Andrea Bajani,
New Yorker,
7 June 2026
Adverb
-
The logo-shooting, circus-passing, shape-shifting revelation who was once arguably the most famous basketball player in the world has become rude, entitled and, frankly, not all that fun.—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2026
-
The American Revolution was, at heart, frankly and undeniably secularist.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
8 June 2026
Adverb
-
When Gary Vernon began riding mountain bikes in Arkansas almost 40 years ago, there was very little infrastructure intended for riders without deep experience—or a devil-may-care attitude.—
Arati Menon,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 June 2026
-
But that, believe it or not, isn't very big for here.—
John Ramos,
CBS News,
7 June 2026
Adverb
-
Gundam Rogue Orbit also looks very nice indeed, and the game is using Unreal Engine.—
Ollie Barder,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2026
-
While Carell's Nick was indeed dead for most of season 2, his character returns for a flashback in the latest batch of episodes.—
Brenton Blanchet,
PEOPLE,
6 June 2026
Adverb
-
If Louis’s self-mythology took the form of a prestige-TV period piece, then Lestat’s takes the form of some truly experimental, gonzo TV storytelling.—
Rebecca Alter,
Vulture,
8 June 2026
-
There’s also doubts over whether many of the job cut announcements so far have truly been related to AI.—
Meg Short,
Fortune,
7 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Actually.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/actually. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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