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
And even if gang members are arrested, Haiti’s judicial system is barely functional.
—
Dánica Coto, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2025
However, the two stars barely interact on screen in that film due to the story's central conceit — two residents of the same house communicate across time periods using a magic mailbox.
—Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 2 May 2025
This knife feels super lightweight because the handle is actually hollow and filled with sand to just barely offset the weight of the blade.
—Molly Higgins, Wired News, 2 May 2025
He was confirmed 99-0 for secretary of state in the Senate, while some of Trump’s other Cabinet nominees barely scraped by or were rejected altogether.
—Haisten Willis, The Washington Examiner, 2 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for barely
Dánica Coto, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2025
However, the two stars barely interact on screen in that film due to the story's central conceit — two residents of the same house communicate across time periods using a magic mailbox.
—Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 2 May 2025
This knife feels super lightweight because the handle is actually hollow and filled with sand to just barely offset the weight of the blade.
—Molly Higgins, Wired News, 2 May 2025
He was confirmed 99-0 for secretary of state in the Senate, while some of Trump’s other Cabinet nominees barely scraped by or were rejected altogether.
—Haisten Willis, The Washington Examiner, 2 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for barely
Recent Examples of Synonyms for barely
Adverb
-
The singer had just gotten off the road from her Strip Love arena tour.—
Edward Segarra,
USA Today,
15 May 2025
-
The Oilers got out in front early, scoring just 1:27 into the game off the stick of Adam Henrique, his second goal of the playoffs, which turned out to be all the Oilers would need.—
Kilty Cleary,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 May 2025
Adverb
-
Valkyria was rarely featured, hardly pushed, and never got a true chance to show off any type of personality or passion.—
Blake Oestriecher,
Forbes.com,
11 May 2025
-
According to Cooley, come July, there will hardly be any sign of cicadas minus the holes in the ground and the eggs in the trees.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
11 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Barely.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barely. Accessed 20 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share