1
as in only
for nothing other than the scholarships are awarded simply on the basis of merit uninterested in food, she eats simply to keep alive

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2
as in just
nothing more than it's simply smart to shop around before buying an item

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of simply This creates a virtuous cycle that separates genuine achievers from those simply buying credibility. Ascend Agency, Mercury News, 4 Aug. 2025 Millions of Iranians, to their own shock, had caused the region’s most powerful regime to simply melt away. Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025 Sew panels of shirts and sweatshirts together to create a larger pad, or simply fold a bulky sweatshirt in half. Claire Hoppe Norgaard, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Aug. 2025 One fix—in addition to reducing screen time—is simply reminding yourself to blink more. Matt Fuchs, Time, 4 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for simply
Recent Examples of Synonyms for simply
Adverb
  • The number of new jobs dipped well below even modest expectations, with only 73,000 positions added, compared to the Dow Jones estimate of 100,000.
    Anna Commander, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Aug. 2025
  • Keep in mind that these often come with serial numbers or licenses, which may only provide access for a limited time.
    BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 1 Aug. 2025
Adverb
  • Sue just gives a few hundred people in NYC a little speech about family and then everything’s okay.
    Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 26 July 2025
  • Meanwhile, Lohan, who was 17 at the time and is now 39, was promoting Freaky Friday, which had just been released on DVD.
    Carson Blackwelder, People.com, 26 July 2025
Adverb
  • But staying in a job purely out of guilt or comfort can prevent you from pursuing opportunities that better align with your values and goals.
    Sherry Taylor, Forbes.com, 31 July 2025
  • Microsoft’s researchers did note that their measurements were purely focused on large language models (LLMs), and other applications of AI could affect occupations involving operating and monitoring machinery, such as truck driving.
    Sawdah Bhaimiya, CNBC, 31 July 2025
Adverb
  • Obama and his team argued that an attack would merely push Iran to take its program further underground.
    David Remnick, New Yorker, 28 July 2025
  • Specifically, outsized paydays were merely a temporary lapse of the unquestioned power that platforms will never fully give up over their creators.
    Solo Ceesay, Rolling Stone, 28 July 2025
Adverb
  • In strong relationships, couples don’t rely solely on emotion to get them through.
    Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 31 July 2025
  • Placing their hopes in an executive director to solely negotiate the next big wins contradicted the whole premise of solidarity.
    George Atallah, Sportico.com, 31 July 2025
Adverb
  • Notably, these obligations do not arise exclusively from the Paris Agreement or the UNFCCC.
    Jon McGowan, Forbes.com, 26 July 2025
  • In a letter to Ethics Chairman Michael Guest (R-MS), obtained exclusively by the Washington Examiner, Rep. Rob Bresnahan’s (R-PA) lawyer stated that the congressman has placed two guardrails for his advisers to follow while managing his stock trades.
    Hailey Bullis, The Washington Examiner, 25 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Simply.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/simply. Accessed 8 Aug. 2025.

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