as in slightly
by a very small margin
we barely made it to the church on time
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of barely
Nationwide, lotteries pay out barely two-thirds of ticket revenues in prize money.
—
Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2025
Although the curtain would rise barely five hours later, Marquez jumped at the chance to go from audience member to stage performer.
—Dan Kelly, Kansas City Star, 5 Sep. 2025
But Daskalakis, Houry, and Jernigan say Kennedy barely engaged with CDC staff and disregarded CDC data that was provided, particularly related to vaccines.
—Dominique Mosbergen, Time, 5 Sep. 2025
During an appearance on NBC’s Today show earlier this week, Goodell confirmed that this season’s record slate of seven international dates barely qualifies as a half-measure.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for barely
Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2025
Although the curtain would rise barely five hours later, Marquez jumped at the chance to go from audience member to stage performer.
—Dan Kelly, Kansas City Star, 5 Sep. 2025
But Daskalakis, Houry, and Jernigan say Kennedy barely engaged with CDC staff and disregarded CDC data that was provided, particularly related to vaccines.
—Dominique Mosbergen, Time, 5 Sep. 2025
During an appearance on NBC’s Today show earlier this week, Goodell confirmed that this season’s record slate of seven international dates barely qualifies as a half-measure.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for barely
Recent Examples of Synonyms for barely
Adverb
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That's slightly below Fried's deal, but Valdez will be the best lefty starter on the market, so someone will likely surpass that projection.—
Drew VonScio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Sep. 2025
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Try the curry and other unlisted offerings Cranston’s favorite is Japanese curry, a mildly spiced and slightly sweet, rich brown curry sauce served with steamed rice.—
Lennie Omalza,
The Courier-Journal,
3 Sep. 2025
Adverb
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If just one mishap goes the other way, maybe Dallas walks away with a victory on opening night.—
Nick Harris,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
5 Sep. 2025
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Start by cutting back the top growth to just a couple of inches to expose the crown of the plant.—
Rita Pelczar,
Better Homes & Gardens,
5 Sep. 2025
Adverb
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The conference is in New York City, and most conferences aren’t narrowly focused on my practice area.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
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Public institutions can legally establish time, place and manner restrictions on free expression as long as these restrictions are narrowly tailored.—
Cate Charron,
IndyStar,
2 Sep. 2025
Adverb
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That the Chiefs could hardly bother Herbert without blitzing — and often not even then — was the most alarming development of the night for KC.—
Blair Kerkhoff,
Kansas City Star,
6 Sep. 2025
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Reese is hardly the first player to bemoan the state of the Chicago Sky.—
Sabreena Merchant,
New York Times,
6 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Barely.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barely. Accessed 8 Sep. 2025.
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