as in real
existing in fact and not merely as a possibility
the actual outcome of the election was quite different from what everybody had expected
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Recent Examples of actual
There is also a short movie showing actual black-and-white footage of the Normandy assault, at times hard to watch, which plays a few times per hour.
—
Jim Clash, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
The University of Iowa was a Navy pre-flight site during World War II, so many actual airmen had beers there after a long day of training in the early days.
—The Athletic College Football Staff, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2025
The second paper, led by Chao He’s graduate student Haixin Li, went a step further and directly measured the actual optical properties of haze particles and compared them with the optical properties of graphite.
—Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 10 Sep. 2025
But the actual hike consumers see may be much bigger.
—Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Oc Register, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for actual
Jim Clash, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
The University of Iowa was a Navy pre-flight site during World War II, so many actual airmen had beers there after a long day of training in the early days.
—The Athletic College Football Staff, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2025
The second paper, led by Chao He’s graduate student Haixin Li, went a step further and directly measured the actual optical properties of haze particles and compared them with the optical properties of graphite.
—Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 10 Sep. 2025
But the actual hike consumers see may be much bigger.
—Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Oc Register, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for actual
Recent Examples of Synonyms for actual
Adjective
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Meeting these expectations has put real strain on automotive retail, challenging dealers to know when to rely on intelligent tools—and when to step in with human expertise.—
Malana VanTyler,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
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The final debut group will be selected through real-time global voting during the live broadcast.—
Laura Sirikul,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Johnson, a San Francisco Chronicle reporter who covered the fire, served as a consultant on the film to ensure factual accuracy.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
6 Sep. 2025
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Second, add a short factual reason that highlights value—not your worth as a person.—
Joyce Marter,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Early in the novel, Harold points out that authors are constantly looking for ways to bury their true beliefs in their text, rather than state them outright.—
Jeremy Gordon,
The Atlantic,
12 Sep. 2025
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Like many Stephen King stories, the truest horrors are the ones that exist in reality.—
James Grebey,
Time,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Actual.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/actual. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.
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