as in clearly
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Recent Examples of decisively
Cue bedlam as the momentum swung decisively Wrexham’s way in a title race that had seen both teams already reach 100 points.
—
Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2026
The letter also said Iran doesn’t seek tension and would not initiate a war but would respond decisively and proportionately if attacked.
—Bart Jansen, USA Today, 19 Feb. 2026
In 2026, this is where most campaigns fell short — and where a small handful succeeded decisively.
—Yiling Pan, Vogue, 17 Feb. 2026
The question is no longer whether Black wine culture exists, but perhaps, how decisively Chicago will continue to shape it.
—Anna Lee Iijima, Chicago Tribune, 17 Feb. 2026
Any breach of that trust will be addressed promptly and decisively.
—Christopher Derose, CBS News, 17 Feb. 2026
The state must act decisively when federal leadership fails.
—Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026
Once a background consideration, geopolitics and policy changes has now moved decisively to the foreground.
—Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 11 Feb. 2026
In last season’s Final Four, UConn defeated UCLA and South Carolina, decisively, in fact, to win its 12th national championship.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 11 Feb. 2026
Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2026
The letter also said Iran doesn’t seek tension and would not initiate a war but would respond decisively and proportionately if attacked.
—Bart Jansen, USA Today, 19 Feb. 2026
In 2026, this is where most campaigns fell short — and where a small handful succeeded decisively.
—Yiling Pan, Vogue, 17 Feb. 2026
The question is no longer whether Black wine culture exists, but perhaps, how decisively Chicago will continue to shape it.
—Anna Lee Iijima, Chicago Tribune, 17 Feb. 2026
Any breach of that trust will be addressed promptly and decisively.
—Christopher Derose, CBS News, 17 Feb. 2026
The state must act decisively when federal leadership fails.
—Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026
Once a background consideration, geopolitics and policy changes has now moved decisively to the foreground.
—Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 11 Feb. 2026
In last season’s Final Four, UConn defeated UCLA and South Carolina, decisively, in fact, to win its 12th national championship.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 11 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decisively
Adverb
-
What’s more, the silhouette clearly strikes a nostalgic chord, too.—
Eva Thomas,
InStyle,
19 Feb. 2026
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The crowd — representing a wide range of backgrounds and languages — clapped along and filmed on their phones, clearly enjoying it.—
Rachel Treisman,
NPR,
19 Feb. 2026
Adverb
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Still, upon the song’s release, Colón responded positively to being name-checked in a social media video.—
Maya Georgi,
Rolling Stone,
21 Feb. 2026
-
Further, issues with any sperm quality parameters were found to be positively correlated with all-cause mortality.—
Annalisa Merelli,
STAT,
19 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
The discovery widens the door for the possibility that life once existed on Mars, though the scientists stopped short of definitively making that claim.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Following his initial spiel, Vitello was told that the initial report didn’t say definitively that the Giants were hiring him — just that the team was close to offering him a job.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
16 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
Don't lab studies conclusively prove the bio-insecticidal toxicity of marigolds?—
Lee Wallender,
The Spruce,
6 Feb. 2026
-
The defense countered that multiple people had access to devices inside the home and questioned whether the evidence conclusively identifies Banfield as the account’s operator.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten , Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
20 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
Supporters certainly want to see it, with a strong sense in the stands that he’s been held back more often than set free.—
Gregg Evans,
New York Times,
23 Feb. 2026
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And there was certainly no sign any of the gubernatorial candidates plan to give up, bowing to concerns their large number could divide the Democratic vote and allow a pair of Republicans to slip through and emerge from California’s top-two primary.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
MacKinnon had been all over the rink all game, which was as fast, and as physical, and as highly skilled, surely, as any hockey competition in history.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
22 Feb. 2026
-
Fair enough, although there surely would be too steep a Springfield learning curve for a man with near-zero political experience.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Feb. 2026
Adverb
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The satisfyingly noisy sense of liftoff that ensues undoubtedly took a painstaking, iterative process of writing, recording, and mixing to achieve.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
24 Feb. 2026
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Prices, tariffs also in play Perceptions of the economy’s health will undoubtedly take center stage this fall, Covey said, and Evans’ fate — and that of the party in power — will be tied to its performance.—
John Aguilar,
Denver Post,
23 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
If there’s a cap and a floor in the next labor agreement, the Marlins’ payroll assuredly will be higher.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Cholowsky, a top-25 national recruit, would have assuredly been a first-round pick in the 2023 draft.—
Ira Gorawara,
New York Times,
12 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Decisively.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decisively. Accessed 25 Feb. 2026.
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