as in slightly
by a very small margin
we barely made it to the church on time
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of barely
And both groups fell behind white two-parent families, with Black two-parent families barely thriving above white single-parent families.
—
Meagan Jordan, Rolling Stone, 3 Oct. 2025
Jenna Ortega Jenna Ortega proved her barely there brows weren’t leaving her face anytime soon.
—Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 3 Oct. 2025
It’s marketed as a constant listener that sends you texts based on context about your life, but Friend could barely hear me.
—Jordan Blum, Fortune, 3 Oct. 2025
In a rebuttal to the defense’s presentation, prosecutor Slavik noted that of all the remarks from Combs’ team, there was barely any mention of his victims.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 3 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for barely
Meagan Jordan, Rolling Stone, 3 Oct. 2025
Jenna Ortega Jenna Ortega proved her barely there brows weren’t leaving her face anytime soon.
—Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 3 Oct. 2025
It’s marketed as a constant listener that sends you texts based on context about your life, but Friend could barely hear me.
—Jordan Blum, Fortune, 3 Oct. 2025
In a rebuttal to the defense’s presentation, prosecutor Slavik noted that of all the remarks from Combs’ team, there was barely any mention of his victims.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 3 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for barely
Recent Examples of Synonyms for barely
Adverb
-
Ohio State University, which enrolls the most international students in Ohio, reported a 37% drop in first-year international students and a slightly smaller number of total international students this year.—
David Ferrara,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
30 Sep. 2025
-
Cook, stirring often, until apples are slightly softened, about 8 minutes.—
Katlyn Moncada,
Better Homes & Gardens,
30 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
After hours, a barista will usher you into Say Less Speakeasy, a lofty bar and lounge hidden behind an unassuming bookshelf just past the café register.—
Lyndsay C. Green,
Freep.com,
3 Oct. 2025
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Other parts of the country are nearing their peak, like northeastern Washington, central Oregon, eastern Montana, most of North Dakota, just over half of Michigan, as well as a large portion of Upstate New York.—
Saleen Martin,
USA Today,
3 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
Democrats countered that the GOP proposal actually is partisan, since Republicans are seeking to extend funding following the passage of a controversial spending bill that narrowly passed in July over the objections of all congressional Democrats.—
Kevin Breuninger,Sam Meredith,
CNBC,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Holladay, 42, ran against Wing in 2024, with Wing narrowly defeating the Democratic challenger by a margin of 7,541 to 7,255.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
30 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
But the poultry came from a donation that hardly made up for the 74,000 pounds of chicken that never arrived in June.—
ProPublica,
ProPublica,
3 Oct. 2025
-
And while the wooden chairs in the breakfast nook were lovingly worn-in, the uprights in the dining room hardly encouraged lingering.—
Betsy Cribb Watson,
Southern Living,
3 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Barely.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barely. Accessed 5 Oct. 2025.
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