as in slightly
by a very small margin
we barely made it to the church on time
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 barely
Taylor tagged and scored on Cal Melendez’s fly ball to left, barely beating Dylan Morici’s strong throw to the plate.
—
John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 May 2026
But, for years, it was barely used for public events.
—Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 29 May 2026
The man was struggling in the water, barely holding on to a docked boat, according to the post.
—David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 29 May 2026
Ava demands, driving erratically through city traffic in a stick-shift that barely fits the two of them.
—Judy Berman, Time, 29 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for barely
John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 May 2026
But, for years, it was barely used for public events.
—Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 29 May 2026
The man was struggling in the water, barely holding on to a docked boat, according to the post.
—David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 29 May 2026
Ava demands, driving erratically through city traffic in a stick-shift that barely fits the two of them.
—Judy Berman, Time, 29 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for barely
Recent Examples of Synonyms for barely
Adverb
-
There are already some signs that the popularity of slightly smaller homes is on the rise.—
Allison Schrager,
Boston Herald,
31 May 2026
-
That includes first class or business class, but also the premium seats in the middle of the plane that offer slightly more legroom, priority boarding and less time to exit the plane upon landing.—
Chris Isidore,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026
Adverb
-
The starter allowed just two hits through his first two trips through the Glendora order.—
Justin Vigil Zuniga,
Daily News,
27 May 2026
-
Among the graves along the Somme are those of five young men who just happen to share the name Alfred Webb.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 May 2026
Adverb
-
In the bottom of the 11th, UCLA loaded the bases with no outs after an official review determined that Roman Martin was narrowly safe at third base following a bunt.—
Los Angeles Times Staff,
Los Angeles Times,
25 May 2026
-
The debate is narrowly framed as to whether a student should pick either a computer science major or a philosophy major.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
Adverb
-
Spielberg is hardly the first major Hollywood figure to speak out against the use of AI in movies.—
Jack Dunn,
Variety,
28 May 2026
-
The last four goalies in the playoffs this season were hardly sure things going into the postseason.—
Matthew Fairburn,
New York Times,
28 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Barely.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barely. Accessed 31 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
