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
Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 10 Feb. 2026
Feelings and the workplace don’t always line up cleanly.
—Magi Helena, Dallas Morning News, 10 Feb. 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
The brand said the shoe can be disassembled at the end of its life, with the knit, cords, footbed and sole separating cleanly to support circular end-of-life pathways.
—Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 10 Feb. 2026
Feelings and the workplace don’t always line up cleanly.
—Magi Helena, Dallas Morning News, 10 Feb. 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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Rather, they are required to provide such opportunities if legally qualified opposing candidates request it.—
BrieAnna J. Frank,
USA Today,
20 Feb. 2026
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When deliberations begin Thursday, jurors will be tasked with discerning whether Santos lacked substantial capacity to appreciate the nature or circumstances of his actions were legally or morally wrong.—
Molly Crane-Newman,
New York Daily News,
19 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Typical customers served by sanitary wastewater systems using 3,500 gallons of water would see an increase of about $28 per month, the release said.—
Michelle Mullins,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Jan. 2026
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Stalls with overflowing sewage, exposed wires, no sanitary sinks in the kitchen, pests and vermin and alleged asbestos were among the concerns the community detailed during a presentation in mid 2024.—
Sierra Lopez,
Mercury News,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Create Pools of Light Harsh, piercing lights tend to feel more sterile than serene.—
Shagun Khare,
The Spruce,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Using this technique, the government is breeding sterile, non-infected, male flies at a facility in Panama.—
Ciara McCarthy,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Air drying is easier and more hygienic.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
The Spruce,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Traditional mops move filthy water, conventional vacuums push fine dust back into the air and cleaning cloths need to be rinsed to maintain hygienic conditions.—
William Jones,
USA Today,
1 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Otherwise, the tone of the show is pure cosmopolitan sympathy.—
Doreen St. Félix,
New Yorker,
14 Feb. 2026
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That’s why Baumler’s pure stuff will only get him as far as his ability to command it against big league hitters.—
Shawn McFarland,
Dallas Morning News,
14 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The Homeland’s borders are drawn in untainted blood, its sanctity exemplified in proper gender conduct and the fulfillment of gender roles.—
Ta-Nehisi Coates,
Vanity Fair,
26 Jan. 2026
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Meanwhile, a transparent, independent and untainted investigation is not optional.—
Phil Morris The Minnesota Star Tribune,
Arkansas Online,
10 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The age of white-washed, super scant, and industrial spaces are behind us.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
8 Jan. 2026
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Eddie Bauer Queen-Size Troutdale Green Quilt Set Eddie Bauer’s light gray plaid quilt set comes pre-washed for extra softness.—
Kenedee Fowler,
Southern Living,
29 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Our idols were allowed to either be good girls—militantly wholesome and seemingly virginal—or train wrecks, unmoored and wild, and thus subjected to a litany of bullying and ridicule for their actions.—
Stephanie McNeal,
Glamour,
17 Feb. 2026
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One relationship that is developing into wholesome camaraderie is the one between Betul and João.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
17 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cleanly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cleanly. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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