as in legally
according to the rules or the law
it was a cleanly fought match, so you have no grounds for complaint
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in sanitary
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of cleanly
Colton Pouncy,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
The ball ricocheted off him to his left, where second baseman Santiago Espinal made a last-ditch effort to salvage the play but couldn’t pick up the ball cleanly.
—
Maddie Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
13 June 2026
Mark Jenkins,
Washington Post,
15 Sep. 2023
Ripa smiled at the camera with cleanly arched eyebrows, long eyelashes and long blonde locks that fell past her shoulders.
—
Jill Lupupa,
Peoplemag,
7 Aug. 2023
See All Example Sentences for cleanly
Adverb
TeSlaa cleanly broke inside on a post route, turned his head and the ball was waiting for him, leading to a big gain.
—
Colton Pouncy,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
The ball ricocheted off him to his left, where second baseman Santiago Espinal made a last-ditch effort to salvage the play but couldn’t pick up the ball cleanly.
—
Maddie Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
13 June 2026
Adjective
Among the 21 artists are Julia Chon and Dave Young Kim, who offer cleanly hard-edge paintings of, respectively, a woman in traditional garb and two storks below two strands of barbed wire.
—
Mark Jenkins,
Washington Post,
15 Sep. 2023
Ripa smiled at the camera with cleanly arched eyebrows, long eyelashes and long blonde locks that fell past her shoulders.
—
Jill Lupupa,
Peoplemag,
7 Aug. 2023
See All Example Sentences for cleanly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cleanly
Adverb
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Rollins credited the administration's crackdown on fraud and recipients who aren't legally authorized to be in the country, as well as the new rules.
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Today, only the Pamunkey and citizens of other tribes in Virginia can legally fish for shad in this region.
Adjective
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Here's what our pros recommend for dusting your bedroom to keep it sanitary and easy to breathe in.
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It is treated similar to sanitary waste.
Adjective
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Gone are the days of matchy-matchy sets, sterile millennial greige, and stark black-and-white color palettes.
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Now, authorities in Texas are releasing sterile flies once more.
Adjective
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Bathing is one of humanity’s most ancient self-care rituals, but modern innovations—running water, the rush to get out of the house in the morning—have reduced it to a primarily hygienic routine.
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Cleaning routines ensure hygienic conditions for people and pets.
Adjective
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Couples who stay close over the long haul rarely run on pure self-sacrifice.
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What ensued was 90 minutes of pure sound.
Adjective
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Linger there for some stargazing beneath a sky totally untainted by light.
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The motion concluded an untainted special counsel was necessary because the issues involved allegations of contempt and misconduct at high levels in the Justice Department.
Adjective
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Pre-washed rice has already been rinsed, so washing it again is unnecessary.
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Or toss in pre-washed strawberries for your next picnic at the park.
Adjective
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Meanwhile, Kat and Cooper continue to have wholesome fun together.
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On the surface, Little House on the Prairie is one of the most inoffensive and wholesome shows of all time.
Cite this Entry
“Cleanly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cleanly. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
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