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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 She is actually infected, and Bryan has become caught up in the franchise’s inciting t-virus outbreak. — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 21 Sep. 2026 But after a screwy start to the Big Ten schedule a year ago, coach Eric Musselman actually asked for a slate exactly like this. — Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2026 What a full-body scan can actually find A whole-body MRI or ultrasound can pick up benign and cancerous tumors, abnormalities in bone marrow or lymph nodes and irregularities in major blood vessels. — Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 21 Sep. 2026 The court’s decision on Thursday did not conclude whether or not Schiele’s 1916 drawing, Russian War Prisoner, was actually looted by the Nazis, as investigators and Grünbaum’s heirs claim. — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 21 Sep. 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
  • Use the language of the job description honestly, spell out key skills and focus on measurable outcomes.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2026
  • So far, nothing’s happened, which is honestly more unsettling than if something did.
    — Corbin Bolies, Variety, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of honestly
Adverb
  • Unloading about the time-travel stuff is important, but what really lifts some of the burden from Julia’s shoulders is being able to talk about Claire with Davina.
    — Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2026
  • The second-year starting linebacker was an all-conference selection last season and has really turned it up a notch as a senior.
    — Matt Le Cren, Chicago Tribune, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of really
Adverb
  • Quite frankly, Travis Kelce doesn’t need football anymore, yet Sunday night provided a stark reminder of why football needs him.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 21 Sep. 2026
  • And there is a hunger on the part of much of the public, frankly to attest to this, is that there's a sense of desire for independence of mind and independence of thought.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of frankly
Adverb
  • The Microtransat achievement represents more than a tiny boat completing a very long journey.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Turns out the two had a rather close bond, as Elia was very politically savvy compared to the naïve Rhaegar.
    — Rafael Motamayor, Vulture, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of very
Adverb
  • And while this gentle reader, writer, and watcher was never worried that star Ella Bruccoleri would indeed be joined by co-star Dónal Finn for the new special, consider the Hayward reunion officially official today.
    — Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 19 Sep. 2026
  • The destination of our hapless hero, a courier (Austin Abrams, absolutely awesome) who must transport an important package between medical facilities, is indeed the game’s residentially evil homebase of Racoon City.
    — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of indeed
Adverb
  • Joscha Bach of the California Institute for Machine Consciousness, another AGI pioneer, says a truly intelligent system should not need to devour the entire Internet and consume vast amounts of computing power for even the simplest query.
    — George Musser, Scientific American, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Our go-tos are the classic pepperoni and the hot sausage with brown butter sage (divine, truly).
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Sep. 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 22 Sep. 2026.

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