actually

adverb

ˈak-ch(ə-w)ə-lē How to pronounce actually (audio)
Definition of actuallynext
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 Did anyone think Christopher Bell would actually pass Ty Gibbs? — Zach Dean Outkick, FOXNews.com, 10 Aug. 2026 But from a football standpoint, the offensive line is one of the few places where USC may actually be able to weather a loss such as O’Connor. — Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2026 Total eclipses actually happen somewhere on Earth every 18 months. — Literary Hub, 10 Aug. 2026 This dog park is actually a baseball field that allows dogs to play on the real grass in the mornings. — Joan Morris, Mercury News, 10 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for actually
Recent Examples of Synonyms for actually
  1. honestly
  2. really
  3. frankly
  4. very
  5. indeed
  6. truly
Adverb
  • One of the strongest films of the year — in years, honestly — stars 2026 MVP Sandra Hüller as a 17th-century German soldier who’s survived a bullet to the face and disfigurement around the end of the Thirty Years War.
    — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Utilize self-assessments to highlight contributions with concrete details and honestly address growth areas, demonstrating self-awareness.
    — Andy Molinsky, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of honestly
Adverb
  • People think of intimacy in a romantic sense, but the relationships artists have with the people in their corner in the industry is also really intimate.
    — Cathy Applefeld Olson, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2026
  • These types of conversations help teens feel understood and strengthen trust, while uncovering more about what is really driving the desire to change up their look.
    — Liz Regalia, Parents, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of really
Adverb
  • One root of these problems, Fersko-Weiss believed, was an inability to communicate frankly about what death and dying entailed.
    — Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Over 100 landowners have denied power company surveyors access to their property, again demonstrating Maryland’s tenacity against harmful development which, frankly, no one asked for.
    — Adrianne Fantasia, Baltimore Sun, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of frankly
Adverb
  • Anna’s sheer lace dress with a huge keyhole in the front and an open back is fine but also like a million other dresses; the same goes for Jude’s nicely constructed, but very familiar, black velvet dress with a corset.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Quarterback Tommy DeVito looked to him on a go route on the very next play, but Williams didn’t cut back inside for the ball, which appeared to frustrate Vrabel on the sideline.
    — Chad Graff, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of very
Adverb
  • Stuart Fails to Save the Universe indeed came up with a fun, clever premise…and then apparently just decided to stop trying there; everything else about the series is totally lackluster.
    — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Nancy Reagan, fearful of losing her husband, did indeed consult an astrologer after Reagan was shot.
    — Tom Nichols, The Atlantic, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of indeed
Adverb
  • But the only way that truly would have been the case would have been if Beal took the minimum elsewhere.
    — Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 14 Aug. 2026
  • But there’s a case to be made for visiting in late summer or early fall, before the temperatures truly plummet and after the crowds thin out a little.
    — Kelsey Mulvey, Vogue, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of truly

Browse Nearby Words

actualizing
actually
actuate
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Actually.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/actually. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

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