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.
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Recent Examples of actually
Whether people actually will receive those benefits on their EBT cards remains unclear.
—
Dave Smith, Fortune, 8 Nov. 2025
Newsom’s closure of that highway, where shrapnel actually fell on police vehicles, probably saved both lives and plenty of property damage.
—Thomas Elias, Mercury News, 8 Nov. 2025
Today, Ivo is one of the most beloved male actors in Estonia, but that little vodka improvisation was actually one of his very first film roles.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 8 Nov. 2025
Although Fire Country is set in California, filming actually takes place primarily in Vancouver, British Columbia, which co-creator and star Max Thieriot believes isn't that different from the show's setting.
—Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 8 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for actually
Dave Smith, Fortune, 8 Nov. 2025
Newsom’s closure of that highway, where shrapnel actually fell on police vehicles, probably saved both lives and plenty of property damage.
—Thomas Elias, Mercury News, 8 Nov. 2025
Today, Ivo is one of the most beloved male actors in Estonia, but that little vodka improvisation was actually one of his very first film roles.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 8 Nov. 2025
Although Fire Country is set in California, filming actually takes place primarily in Vancouver, British Columbia, which co-creator and star Max Thieriot believes isn't that different from the show's setting.
—Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 8 Nov. 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
-
Is the age of toys really over?—
Dan Heching,
CNN Money,
12 Nov. 2025
-
That’s where this idea came from, and it’s been really well accepted.—
McKinley Franklin,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Nov. 2025
Adverb
-
That’s the kind of chance that last season, a more aggressive-looking Stolarz would have used his frame — and frankly, his big-game presence — to turn away with ease.—
Joshua Kloke,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
-
And ultimately, what's going to protect the American people, frankly, are not Senate Republicans who give in to this president all the time.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 Nov. 2025
Adverb
-
Many others were very angry about it.—
Jon Allsop,
New Yorker,
11 Nov. 2025
-
And Doughty, who turns 36 in December and is still the runaway leader in ice time for the Kings, continues to be viewed in a very positive light by Team Canada’s decision-makers.—
Chris Johnston,
New York Times,
10 Nov. 2025
Adverb
-
The skeletal remains did indeed belong to Béla, Duke of Macsó, the great-grandson of King Béla III.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Nov. 2025
-
In a study published last month in Schizophrenia Bulletin, researchers demonstrated that inner speech indeed suppressed the brain’s auditory cortex in adults without schizophrenia.—
Hannah Seo,
Scientific American,
10 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 15 Nov. 2025.
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