as in legally
according to the rules or the law
it was a cleanly fought match, so you have no grounds for complaint
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in sanitary
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cleanly
Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 Mar. 2025
The coin toss ceremony is a brief yet ceremonial affair: captains often shake hands or hug before the referee explains the game's rules and ensures the game is played cleanly, free from foul language or unnecessary hits.
—Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 8 Feb. 2025
Javier Cabral, Bon Appétit, 21 July 2023
De La Hoya rematch, advancing them with rich archival footage presented in cleanly chronological fashion.
—Tomris Laffly, Variety, 20 Jan. 2022
See All Example Sentences for cleanly
Adverb
To help your plants heal faster, make your pruning cuts or breaks as cleanly as possible and never remove more than 1/3 of your plant’s stems in one go.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 Mar. 2025
The coin toss ceremony is a brief yet ceremonial affair: captains often shake hands or hug before the referee explains the game's rules and ensures the game is played cleanly, free from foul language or unnecessary hits.
—Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 8 Feb. 2025
Adjective
Other options like the fall apart-tender pork belly taco, topped with sour-sweet tamarind salsa, cleanly acidic gooseberry salsa, and bright serranos round out the thoughtful menu at Guerilla Tacos.
—Javier Cabral, Bon Appétit, 21 July 2023
De La Hoya rematch, advancing them with rich archival footage presented in cleanly chronological fashion.
—Tomris Laffly, Variety, 20 Jan. 2022
See All Example Sentences for cleanly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cleanly
Adverb
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Garcia said his trip continues the groundwork that Van Hollen laid. Abrego Garcia, who is from El Salvador, lived legally in Maryland.—
Andrea Castillo,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Apr. 2025
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The complaint argues the Trump administration terminated their statuses by removing the students from the Student and Exchange Visitor System, or SEVIS – an online database schools use to provide the government legally required information about international students.—
Dakin Andone,
CNN Money,
21 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Non-tariff barriers include import barriers driven by licensing restrictions, unnecessarily restrictive quality standards on goods or technical regulations, sanitary measures that restrict trade without furthering safety objectives, and several other categories of restrictions.—
Steve Banker,
Forbes.com,
11 Apr. 2025
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Along with the streets, new storm and sanitary sewers are being installed, along with new sidewalks and a multi-use path.—
Mike Nolan,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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With two treatments, the capybaras should be sterile for at least a few months.—
Michael Nied,
People.com,
18 Apr. 2025
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The lower levels of the parking garage are sterile and lifeless — a liminal space of flickering lights and zero cars.—
Jack Flemming,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The researchers claim that introducing microbes from Earth could potentially reinforce the microbial community on the ISS without posing any hygienic risks to astronauts.—
Jack Knudson,
Discover Magazine,
27 Feb. 2025
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The texture is rich, so a little goes a long way; use a spatula to keep things hygienic and scoop out the necessary amount.—
Kiana Murden,
Vogue,
21 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Booker seems like the top pure guard in this year's draft class, making his overall positional value lower.—
Nicholas Creel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Apr. 2025
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Kiper calls him the best pure guard in the draft, a road-grader in the run game.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Some replacements were found in the everyday speech of rural Anatolian villagers or the Turkic peoples of Central Asia, both of which were assumed to have preserved an untainted original Turkish.—
Nick Danforth,
Foreign Affairs,
6 Jan. 2015
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In the awards race, the question looms: Will any of the nominees make it to the ceremony untainted?—
Michael Schulman,
The New Yorker,
6 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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While fans might not expect a romantic reunion, the internet is loving the wholesome exchange between former flames.—
John W. Dean,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Apr. 2025
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The super superlatives spilled over each other, endearingly wholesome, purely Pete.—
Tyler Kepner,
New York Times,
5 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The island’s primitive campsites are a great way to enjoy the unpolluted dark skies in a serene atmosphere.—
Evie Carrick,
Travel + Leisure,
28 Apr. 2025
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This is not just good for farmers, but for the 1.8 million people who rely on unpolluted water from our three county reservoirs.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
2 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cleanly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cleanly. Accessed 1 May. 2025.
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