as in slightly
by a very small margin
we barely made it to the church on time
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of barely
It is finished out of left field with barely more than a teaspoon of sweet vermouth, offering just enough plush fruit and herbaceousness to keep it complex and interesting while keeping the overall sweetness very low.
—
Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 24 Jan. 2026
The Stars’ once-hot power play went cold in the second half of the game, and their 5-on-5 offense could barely find any production, even with the return of Mikko Rantanen from an illness.
—Lia Assimakopoulos, Dallas Morning News, 24 Jan. 2026
Ryanair’s shares have barely budged, suggesting investors aren’t taking the idea seriously, said Peter Campbell.
—The Week Uk, TheWeek, 24 Jan. 2026
Denver barely won because the Bills converted 11 of 16 attempts on third and fourth down.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 24 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for barely
Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 24 Jan. 2026
The Stars’ once-hot power play went cold in the second half of the game, and their 5-on-5 offense could barely find any production, even with the return of Mikko Rantanen from an illness.
—Lia Assimakopoulos, Dallas Morning News, 24 Jan. 2026
Ryanair’s shares have barely budged, suggesting investors aren’t taking the idea seriously, said Peter Campbell.
—The Week Uk, TheWeek, 24 Jan. 2026
Denver barely won because the Bills converted 11 of 16 attempts on third and fourth down.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 24 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for barely
Recent Examples of Synonyms for barely
Adverb
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Start with a number that feels slightly uncomfortable and go up from there.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
25 Jan. 2026
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Mallama noted that satellites in the Amazon Leo constellation (which used to be known as Project Kuiper) are significantly dimmer than the BlueBirds and slightly fainter than most Starlink satellites, which orbit at a lower altitude of around 300 miles (480 km).—
Tereza Pultarova,
Space.com,
25 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
The concepts haven’t changed, just the names.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
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The yen touched its strongest level since October in US trading Tuesday after comments from Japanese officials, including just recently the finance minister, fueled speculation that the government may intervene in the market to prevent the currency from resuming its decline.—
Mia Glass,
Bloomberg,
28 Jan. 2026
Adverb
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The bill narrowly failed in the Senate.—
Becca Savransky,
Idaho Statesman,
8 Jan. 2026
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Dash camera video captured the teen speeding away from the traffic stop and narrowly missing a deputy standing in the road.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
7 Jan. 2026
Adverb
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It can hardly be disputed that science and medicine today are awash in disinformation.—
Business Columnist,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Jan. 2026
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There are plenty of ski trails throughout the state, but hardly any skating trails.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Barely.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barely. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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