1
as in just
as stated or indicated without the slightest difference
we will meet at exactly six o'clock
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
3
as in directly
in the same words
a plagiarism suit alleging that one historian had copied large segments of another's text exactly
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in strictly
without any relaxation of standards or precision
follow the rules exactly and you won't get into trouble
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in quite
to a full extent or degree
she listened to the advice, then did exactly what she wanted to anyway
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in yes
used to express agreement
"Are you calling me a liar?" "Exactly."
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of exactly
That ranks 54th among the 58 teams with win streaks of exactly seven games since 1970, per Pro Football Reference.
—
Mike Sando, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2025
People have many views on what exactly the show represents and on the creative team’s political leanings, and these views are often at odds.
—David Zucker, Deadline, 10 Nov. 2025
In February, in a report to the Senate Banking Committee, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell warned of exactly the same thing.
—Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 10 Nov. 2025
That’s exactly what happened when my mom and I went to Paris during Christmas a few years ago.
—Claire Gallam, Travel + Leisure, 10 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for exactly
Mike Sando, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2025
People have many views on what exactly the show represents and on the creative team’s political leanings, and these views are often at odds.
—David Zucker, Deadline, 10 Nov. 2025
In February, in a report to the Senate Banking Committee, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell warned of exactly the same thing.
—Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 10 Nov. 2025
That’s exactly what happened when my mom and I went to Paris during Christmas a few years ago.
—Claire Gallam, Travel + Leisure, 10 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for exactly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exactly
Adverb
-
Leaders in Congress agreed and sent out armadas of patriot privateers to do just that, plundering British shipping around the Atlantic rim and forcing Royal Navy warships to redeploy to convoy duty.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
-
There are also just more bears these days.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
Adverb
-
According to researchers at Penn State’s Materials Research Institute, the characteristics of nanotubes can be precisely tuned by selecting specific atomic compositions.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Nov. 2025
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The result is a workforce that is smaller, less dynamic, and aging faster, precisely when adaptation to technological change requires the opposite.—
Jane Sadowsky,
Fortune,
8 Nov. 2025
Adverb
-
Flyers should try to mitigate any headaches from delays and cancellations by avoiding booking flights with layovers, the non-profit US Public Interest Research Group says, and opt to make reservations directly with the airline rather than a third-party website.—
Emma Tucker,
CNN Money,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium.—
Terry Mattingly,
Arkansas Online,
8 Nov. 2025
Adverb
-
Bode’s comment was strictly in reference to the character of the Wizard of Oz, who uses propaganda to manipulate and deceive his subjects in Wicked.—
Hannah Dailey,
Billboard,
7 Nov. 2025
-
The glittering gastro gem shines brightly with resourceful chefs embracing a diverse array of culinary traditions, often eschewing allegiance to strictly Southern cooking.—
Nevin Martell,
USA Today,
7 Nov. 2025
Adverb
-
This new chink in the armor of dark energy resulted from Lee and colleagues from Yonsei University discovering that Type Ia supernova may not be quite so standard after all.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Which for a big break was quite old, really.—
KiMi Robinson,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
Adverb
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Instead of testing a model on an endless series of questions to evaluate its ability to speak Russian, for example, one benchmark reviewed in the study measures a model’s performance on nine different tasks, like answering yes-or-no questions using information drawn from Russian-language Wikipedia.—
Jared Perlo,
NBC news,
6 Nov. 2025
-
The answer in 2025, at last, has been yes, but the way in which the Rams have deployed additional tight ends has still been a surprise.—
Adam Grosbard,
Oc Register,
6 Nov. 2025
Adverb
-
This was no downtown scene, this was Broadway and all the show people and ballplayers and serious mob guys were right there, and Franky C knew them all, from Jackie Wilson to Clay Cole to Tiny Tim.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Nov. 2025
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The 2026 World Cup is right around the corner, and anticipation for the biggest event in sports is building rapidly.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
Adverb
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His pass over the top of the defense was perfectly placed, allowing Flagg to catch it and do the rest.—
Christian Clark,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
-
Her accessories truly made the look, including a pair of crystal drop earrings, bowed stilettos, and a velvet bag, which perfectly matched Prince Harry’s velvety tux.—
Christian Allaire,
Vogue,
9 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Exactly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exactly. Accessed 11 Nov. 2025.
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