1
as in humbly
in a manner showing no signs of pride or self-assertion
spoke modestly about his accomplishments as an entrepreneur
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in innocently
with purity of thought and deed
dressed modestly to go to church
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of modestly
Across the full sample, those with insecure attachments reported wanting slightly larger families than those with secure ones, and insecure attachment was likewise modestly associated with having more children.
—
Rachel Nuwer, Scientific American, 20 June 2026
The number of Americans applying for jobless aid fell modestly last week as layoffs remained in the same historically low range of recent years.
—Matt Ott, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2026
SpaceX is up again in the premarket, but only modestly.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 17 June 2026
The works coming to Basel are modestly priced, between €15,000 and €160,000 ($17,000–$185,000).
—Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 15 June 2026
However, the benefits of universal basic income are limited for low-income individuals, many of whom are able to increase spending only modestly, as they are saddled with debt or poverty.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 12 June 2026
Funding for these departments is proposed to increase modestly.
—Claire Wang, Oc Register, 8 June 2026
Whole turmeric contains natural compounds that may modestly support curcumin absorption.
—Anna Giorgi, Verywell Health, 4 June 2026
In any case, dressing modestly at these religious sites is the safest bet to be culturally appropriate and respectful.
—Kevin Brouillard, Travel + Leisure, 28 May 2026
Rachel Nuwer, Scientific American, 20 June 2026
The number of Americans applying for jobless aid fell modestly last week as layoffs remained in the same historically low range of recent years.
—Matt Ott, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2026
SpaceX is up again in the premarket, but only modestly.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 17 June 2026
The works coming to Basel are modestly priced, between €15,000 and €160,000 ($17,000–$185,000).
—Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 15 June 2026
However, the benefits of universal basic income are limited for low-income individuals, many of whom are able to increase spending only modestly, as they are saddled with debt or poverty.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 12 June 2026
Funding for these departments is proposed to increase modestly.
—Claire Wang, Oc Register, 8 June 2026
Whole turmeric contains natural compounds that may modestly support curcumin absorption.
—Anna Giorgi, Verywell Health, 4 June 2026
In any case, dressing modestly at these religious sites is the safest bet to be culturally appropriate and respectful.
—Kevin Brouillard, Travel + Leisure, 28 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for modestly
Adverb
-
The restaurant from Yao and co-owners Ryan Bailey and Nikki Reginaldo began humbly, as did its beverage program.—
Stephanie Breijo,
Los Angeles Times,
16 June 2026
-
The post shows the actress going from humbly accepting the compliment to striking her best modeling poses as the wind blows through her hair.—
Angela Andaloro,
PEOPLE,
5 June 2026
Adverb
-
The deciding goal started innocently enough on a Marcel Sabitzer corner kick, albeit after the World Cup’s still-odd hydration breaks.—
Cam Inman,
Mercury News,
17 June 2026
-
The play started innocently enough with Tab Ramos bouncing a one-hop pass to Paul Caligiuri, who played the ball off his chest 40 yards from goal.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
7 June 2026
Adverb
-
Almost nine years after their awkward handshake at the 2017 Bastille Day military parade, the two men politely shook hands and expressed their affinity for each other.—
Mabinty Quarshie,
The Washington Examiner,
15 June 2026
-
Allen’s first pass at the World in Motion lyrics was so laden with references to the druggier aspects of Manchester’s rave culture that the English team politely asked him to maybe tone it down with all the MDMA business.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
12 June 2026
Adverb
-
Gould champions the idea of holding dog owners accountable for properly training and containing their dogs.—
Natasha Holt,
FOXNews.com,
14 June 2026
-
Downed trees and powerlines stretched across parts of Justice and Hickory Hills along Roberts Avenue, with multiple intersections not working properly because of all the outages.—
Asal Rezaei,
CBS News,
14 June 2026
Adverb
-
Rather than a nod of respect, Spurs fans—myself now sheepishly included—are finding their favorite tees and caps drawing chirps, sneers, and curses.—
Joan Kennedy,
Vogue,
10 June 2026
-
The 22-year-old sheepishly asked if Tarasenko could help him with his laundry.—
Joe Smith,
New York Times,
27 May 2026
Adverb
-
Patients who once flew to Turkey purely for the price break now arrive with detailed clinic short lists, surgeon credentials in hand and questions about aftercare protocols.—
Ascend Agency,
Denver Post,
18 June 2026
-
Nobody travels to matches, paints their face, or organizes a game-day event purely for the final score of a single game.—
Angela Haupt,
Time,
18 June 2026
Adverb
-
Precedent thus gave the judge reason to deferentially review settlement terms.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
15 May 2026
-
Scorsese shoots them beautifully and deferentially.—
Matt Weinstock,
New Yorker,
25 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
This point can sound almost heretical in modern healthcare discourse, where prevention is frequently framed as both morally superior and financially inevitable.—
Jeffrey Wessler,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
-
The least morally ambiguous of Snow’s latest characters is Mandy Matney, the investigative journalist whose podcast served as the source material for Murdaugh.—
Max Gao,
HollywoodReporter,
17 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Modestly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/modestly. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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