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
Even her glam, by makeup artist Soo Park, centered around this rose color, including a barely-there nude lip with just a hint of rosy pink color peeking through.
—
Ana Serrano, Glamour, 30 Oct. 2025
During the diagnostic test, Firestone employees noted the engine was noisy, barely ran and burned oil, according to Pittman's paperwork.
—Gina Lee Castro, jsonline.com, 30 Oct. 2025
In just the past decade, late-night shows’ bookings—a reliable rite of passage for musical artists on the edge of a breakthrough—have dropped significantly, to barely 200 performances in 2023.
—Jonathan Garrett, The Atlantic, 29 Oct. 2025
Portrayed with great humor, and a light touch barely ever achieved by young actors, Devi’s best challenges involve boys—especially Ben, her nerdy competition for top of the class, and Paxton—a hot athlete.
—John Ortved, Vogue, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for barely
Ana Serrano, Glamour, 30 Oct. 2025
During the diagnostic test, Firestone employees noted the engine was noisy, barely ran and burned oil, according to Pittman's paperwork.
—Gina Lee Castro, jsonline.com, 30 Oct. 2025
In just the past decade, late-night shows’ bookings—a reliable rite of passage for musical artists on the edge of a breakthrough—have dropped significantly, to barely 200 performances in 2023.
—Jonathan Garrett, The Atlantic, 29 Oct. 2025
Portrayed with great humor, and a light touch barely ever achieved by young actors, Devi’s best challenges involve boys—especially Ben, her nerdy competition for top of the class, and Paxton—a hot athlete.
—John Ortved, Vogue, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for barely
Recent Examples of Synonyms for barely
Adverb
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The plane then lifted slightly off the ground before crashing and exploding in a huge fireball.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
5 Nov. 2025
-
The slightly thinner, trailing branches include a mix of long and short needles.—
Kate McGregor,
Architectural Digest,
5 Nov. 2025
Adverb
-
To increase the challenge of this exercise, place a resistance band around your thighs just above your knees.—
Jakob Roze,
Health,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Getty Images Rarely would a head coach whose team conceded seven goals in a home game just over one week earlier be described as being in a good position.—
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor,
New York Times,
31 Oct. 2025
Adverb
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Two years later, after more legal wrangling, the Connecticut Supreme Court voted narrowly to overturn his conviction, ruling that Skakel's right to a fair trial was compromised by ineffective legal representation.—
KC Baker,
PEOPLE,
4 Nov. 2025
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However, these surveys' leads are within the margins of error and other polls show that Miyares is narrowly in the lead.—
Kate Plummer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Nov. 2025
Adverb
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Being knocked out of the Carabao Cup by fourth-tier Grimsby has hardly helped, either.—
Andy Mitten,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
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Just months later, Siwa can hardly say the song’s full title without rolling her eyes.—
Scottie Andrew,
CNN Money,
25 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Barely.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barely. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
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