1
as in honestly
to tell the truth
actually, I'd rather spend the evening at home
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in really
in actual fact
I call her Aunt Emily, but she is actually my cousin, not my aunt
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 actually
Michelle encourages people to not just wear the color pink or purchase products at the register, but to ensure the foundations and organizations receiving your money actually use it to support breast cancer research.
—
Ariel Nagi, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
However, the people who have stayed are actually pretty warm and cordial.
—Cu Fleshman, Travel + Leisure, 25 Oct. 2025
Kinder Morgan and Phillips 66 announced the project’s open season, which clues interested parties and potential customers into the proposal, before any permitting actually begins.
—Sarah Henry, AZCentral.com, 25 Oct. 2025
The Amityville Horror, a somewhat underrated flick, is based on the real-life Lutz's unsubstantiated claim that the house was actually haunted.
—Steven Thrash, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for actually
Ariel Nagi, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
However, the people who have stayed are actually pretty warm and cordial.
—Cu Fleshman, Travel + Leisure, 25 Oct. 2025
Kinder Morgan and Phillips 66 announced the project’s open season, which clues interested parties and potential customers into the proposal, before any permitting actually begins.
—Sarah Henry, AZCentral.com, 25 Oct. 2025
The Amityville Horror, a somewhat underrated flick, is based on the real-life Lutz's unsubstantiated claim that the house was actually haunted.
—Steven Thrash, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for actually
Recent Examples of Synonyms for actually
Adverb
-
And honestly, what could be more feeble?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Taking care of yourself from the inside out is honestly the secret.—
Jackie Fields,
PEOPLE,
6 Nov. 2025
Adverb
-
Hoeschele recalled early debates about whether the company should really commit to such an audacious investment.—
Sharon Goldman,
Fortune,
5 Nov. 2025
-
But the piece of evidence that really works in Lisa’s favor is that the other women’s smoking gun doesn’t hold water.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
5 Nov. 2025
Adverb
-
And respecting human dignity allows business and organizational leaders to do so in ways that, frankly, few competitors are pursuing.—
Jed Brewer,
Rolling Stone,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Godchaux was a divisive figure among Grateful Dead devotees — many fans were frankly outright disdainful of her presence on stage.—
Steven J. Horowitz,
Variety,
3 Nov. 2025
Adverb
-
And then, in the very last draft, my editor asked me to clarify for her how the science worked.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Krasinski also has the least interesting yet very successful Hollywood career imaginable, but that doesn’t mean he should be exiled or worse.—
Choire Sicha,
CNN Money,
4 Nov. 2025
Adverb
-
The most notable failure of the Nigerian government is that successive administrations have in over a decade and a half been unable to end the scourge of Boko Haram and other Islamist or related terrorist groups that have indeed killed thousands of Christians.—
Semafor Events,
semafor.com,
3 Nov. 2025
-
The writer son makes metaphors out of the garden—indeed, out of the very idea of the garden-as-metaphor—while the father, who told great stories but was entirely unliterary, made a garden out of the earth.—
James Wood,
New Yorker,
3 Nov. 2025
Adverb
-
For the first time since the liberal international order’s creation, its leaders aspired to make the system truly global.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Nov. 2025
-
For a truly Brazilian dining experience, try the camarãoes na moranga, a creamy shrimp stew served inside a small ceramic pumpkin.—
Aaron Randolph,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Actually.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/actually. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share