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
Left-hander David Peterson, who, aside from Kodai Senga, has been the most reliable starting pitcher on the staff, barely made it through four innings Sunday.
—
Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 23 June 2025
The bumpiness is barely noticeable after only a few applications.
—Talia Abbas, Glamour, 23 June 2025
Guys like Reed Sheppard and Cam Whitmore barely tasted the floor this season.
—John Hollinger, New York Times, 22 June 2025
Given current market share is barely 20% in Europe, some major humble-pie eating is on the cards.
—Neil Winton, Forbes.com, 22 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for barely
Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 23 June 2025
The bumpiness is barely noticeable after only a few applications.
—Talia Abbas, Glamour, 23 June 2025
Guys like Reed Sheppard and Cam Whitmore barely tasted the floor this season.
—John Hollinger, New York Times, 22 June 2025
Given current market share is barely 20% in Europe, some major humble-pie eating is on the cards.
—Neil Winton, Forbes.com, 22 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for barely
Recent Examples of Synonyms for barely
Adverb
-
Gener struck out 75 batters in 58 innings while walking just 14.—
Adam Lichtenstein,
Sun Sentinel,
20 June 2025
-
Tyrone Taylor hit a one-out single off Strider and stole second, and with two outs, Mauricio sent him home for just his third RBI of the season.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
20 June 2025
Adverb
-
The influencer/creator economy is hardly new, but its accelerating scale demonstrates its inextricable integration into the broad ad marketplace.—
Howard Homonoff,
Forbes.com,
16 June 2025
-
The importance of monasteries for the emergence of the Renaissance can hardly be overstated.—
Bernd Roeck
June 16,
Literary Hub,
16 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Barely.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barely. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share