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

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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 But values between 500 and 1,000 actually slightly decrease the odds of a blood clot. — Amiran Baduashvili, The Conversation, 12 Oct. 2026 The Dodgers actually hit into three double plays Sunday — an entirely characteristic plot point for an older, slower team that hit into a league-leading 128 double plays this season. — Mirjam Swanson, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026 Another disconnect concerns who actually bears the regulatory workload. — Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 12 Oct. 2026 That’s such a cool way to look at it, that there’s actually connection in disagreement. — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 12 Oct. 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
  • The program leader spoke honestly about the work and the difference philanthropic support could make.
    — Karen Cochran, Forbes.com, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The slip-ons have a clog-like feel, but the low-profile silhouette looks so luxurious—honestly, they could be mistaken for The Row.
    — Melony Forcier, InStyle, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of honestly
Adverb
  • The phone encounters were conceived before the pandemic, but once quarantine began, the idea of entertaining people through interactive phone plays really began to pick up steam.
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026
  • But really, traveling around with my best friends was such an incredibly bonding, grounding experience.
    — Liam Hess, Vogue, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of really
Adverb
  • The serious question of, frankly, human survival did not seem to interest them at all.
    — Ian Frazier, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
  • There are four of us on staff at The Verge actively testing Googlebooks and, frankly, our internal Slack discussions have been mostly filled with collective venting of frustrations, disappointments, and bewilderment.
    — Antonio G. Di Benedetto, The Verge, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of frankly
Adverb
  • One of the other things that Claude noticed was that these array of associated reverse transcriptases seem to be isolated to jumbo phages, which have very large genomes for bacteriophage.
    — Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 14 Oct. 2026
  • There’s very few cases where a fan actually gets to stand beside the man and add onto the man’s legacy.
    — Christine Imarenezor, VIBE.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of very
Adverb
  • That’s indeed carrying over as his collegiate career begins, and his small community back home is taking notice.
    — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Starbucks' turnaround gains traction with consumers New consumer data offered encouraging evidence that the Starbucks turnaround is, indeed, taking hold.
    — Alexa LoMonaco, CNBC, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of indeed
Adverb
  • But then, ‘Reservation Dogs’ Season 1 truly changed my whole life.
    — Michael Schneider, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026
  • This is where geopolitics is truly clashing with modern economies, and at the front line are cable installation crews and repair crews.
    — Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of truly

Browse Nearby Words

actualizing
actually
actuate
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Cite this Entry

“Actually.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/actually. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

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