as in absolutely
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Recent Examples of categorically
This 1,500-island archipelago in Indonesia, midway between Australia and Thailand, is categorically the world’s best diving location.
—
Tristan Rutherford, Robb Report, 26 Jan. 2026
But equally, is there reason to categorically rule him out?
—Ian Irving, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2026
Idaho, meanwhile, has categorically banned transgender athletes since 2020.
—Lexi Lonas Cochran, The Hill, 17 Jan. 2026
Technologies that were initially touted as silver bullets were later shown to have unintended consequences for ecosystems and vulnerable communities; while others that were categorically seen as enemies turned out to be critical in enabling breakthrough solutions.
—Jamil Wyne, Forbes.com, 17 Jan. 2026
The regime also categorically prohibited women from performing solo in public.
—Richard Nedjat-Haiem, The Conversation, 15 Jan. 2026
In 2020, Idaho was the first state in the country to approve the measure categorically barring transgender women and girls from women’s and girls sports.
—Becca Savransky, Idaho Statesman, 14 Jan. 2026
But when Bronwyn sits down with Meredith to recap their conversation, Meredith categorically denies ever asking what was said at lunch.
—Tom Smyth, Vulture, 7 Jan. 2026
In a statement obtained by Fox News Digital, David Meier, one of the attorneys of record for Diggs, confirmed that the veteran NFL wide receiver categorically denies the claims brought against him and added the dispute was between an employer and an employee.
—Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 30 Dec. 2025
Tristan Rutherford, Robb Report, 26 Jan. 2026
But equally, is there reason to categorically rule him out?
—Ian Irving, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2026
Idaho, meanwhile, has categorically banned transgender athletes since 2020.
—Lexi Lonas Cochran, The Hill, 17 Jan. 2026
Technologies that were initially touted as silver bullets were later shown to have unintended consequences for ecosystems and vulnerable communities; while others that were categorically seen as enemies turned out to be critical in enabling breakthrough solutions.
—Jamil Wyne, Forbes.com, 17 Jan. 2026
The regime also categorically prohibited women from performing solo in public.
—Richard Nedjat-Haiem, The Conversation, 15 Jan. 2026
In 2020, Idaho was the first state in the country to approve the measure categorically barring transgender women and girls from women’s and girls sports.
—Becca Savransky, Idaho Statesman, 14 Jan. 2026
But when Bronwyn sits down with Meredith to recap their conversation, Meredith categorically denies ever asking what was said at lunch.
—Tom Smyth, Vulture, 7 Jan. 2026
In a statement obtained by Fox News Digital, David Meier, one of the attorneys of record for Diggs, confirmed that the veteran NFL wide receiver categorically denies the claims brought against him and added the dispute was between an employer and an employee.
—Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 30 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for categorically
Adverb
-
And for most Edmonton fans, that would be absolutely fine.—
Jess Myers,
Twin Cities,
1 Feb. 2026
-
On the face of it, for a comfortable middle-class couple in Lithuania, getting divorced has absolutely nothing to do with the war in Ukraine.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
1 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
And yet, is such a reclamation even possible after one has been annexed or occupied?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
-
The department warned citizens that snow and ice can create extremely slippery surfaces and lead to serious or even deadly accidents.—
Stephen Sorace,
FOXNews.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
On Saturday, Afghanistan's National Disaster Management Authority said heavy snowfall and rain had killed 61 people and injured more than 100 across the country, while hundreds of homes have been completely or partially destroyed.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Safe drinking water completely dried up in the town after the fire jumped containment lines and damaged the treatment plant that supplies Gellibrand’s potable water.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
One approach to addressing casualty risks is to design spacecraft to demise entirely, but this exacerbates the atmosphere pollution problem, said Boley.—
Leonard David,
Space.com,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Parents can now set daily time limits or block Shorts entirely, depending on what works best for their household.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
The get downright ugly when Texas can't score.—
Thomas Jones,
Austin American Statesman,
31 Jan. 2026
-
In contrast, the latter approach may leave you feeling downright miserable.—
Emily Santora,
Health,
30 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
But of all the spaghetti that got thrown at the wall, this is the one that hits for reasons that are totally orthogonal to politics and sort of Washington.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Even so, Tesla is racing toward a totally unproven concept.—
Patrick George,
The Atlantic,
30 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
McQueen is wholly owned by Kering and one of the smallest brands in the portfolio, compared with Gucci and Saint Laurent, for example.—
Luisa Zargani,
Footwear News,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Even lower estimates indicate the massacres were wholly unprecedented in their scale and ferocity than some of the most infamous protest massacres of modern times.—
Paul Iddon,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Categorically.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/categorically. Accessed 3 Feb. 2026.
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