as in extremely
to a great degree
all of a sudden everything went desperately wrong
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of desperately
Diaz’s stepfather darted out onto the fire escape, survived and was seen by neighbors outside the building desperately searching for his wife and stepdaughter, heartbroken neighbors recalled.
—
Emma Seiwell, New York Daily News, 14 May 2026
His father desperately searched morgues in Tehran, the Iranian capital, for a month, fearing his son was among the thousands killed in the crackdown by authorities.
—Babak Dehghanpisheh, NBC news, 13 May 2026
Such knowledge is desperately needed along Russia’s border with NATO where there has been a spate of drone incursions in recent months, including from Ukrainian drones sent off course by Russian jamming.
—ABC News, 12 May 2026
But seeing the improvisational group War Babies provided the clarity Short desperately needed.
—Erin Jensen, USA Today, 12 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for desperately
Emma Seiwell, New York Daily News, 14 May 2026
His father desperately searched morgues in Tehran, the Iranian capital, for a month, fearing his son was among the thousands killed in the crackdown by authorities.
—Babak Dehghanpisheh, NBC news, 13 May 2026
Such knowledge is desperately needed along Russia’s border with NATO where there has been a spate of drone incursions in recent months, including from Ukrainian drones sent off course by Russian jamming.
—ABC News, 12 May 2026
But seeing the improvisational group War Babies provided the clarity Short desperately needed.
—Erin Jensen, USA Today, 12 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for desperately
Recent Examples of Synonyms for desperately
Adverb
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But even Black athletes whose athleticism gifted them an extremely exclusive express lane in life can tell you stories about growing up a minority in America, or tales their parents or grandparents have told.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
14 May 2026
-
The theory of quantum electrodynamics (QED) suggests that when light at extremely high intensities interacts with the vacuum, it can be converted into matter.—
Ameya Paleja,
Interesting Engineering,
14 May 2026
Adverb
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Second, the only games the Spurs have lost in this series are when either Wemby has played terribly or gotten thrown out of the game.—
Geoff Clark OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
15 May 2026
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But even doing very little can still go terribly wrong.—
Ian Bogost,
The Atlantic,
15 May 2026
Adverb
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While some African countries are major oil and gas producers, the continent imports the vast majority of its fuels, leaving it badly exposed to foreign energy shocks.—
Jeronimo Gonzalez,
semafor.com,
14 May 2026
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The man died immediately, but his body badly damaged one of the jet engines.—
The Denver Post Editorial Board,
Denver Post,
13 May 2026
Adverb
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Football clubs are filled with talented professionals who work incredibly hard.—
Shivaas Gulati,
Sportico.com,
12 May 2026
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While that sort of payday would be life-changing for the overwhelming majority of humans walking the planet, Reitan is the exception, thanks to his historic and incredibly lucrative family business.—
Mark Harris OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
11 May 2026
Adverb
-
But Justin is very different from book to screen.—
Jennifer McClellan,
USA Today,
17 May 2026
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In isolation, Liverpool’s summer 2025 business was very good, but there are so many mitigating factors to consider.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
Adverb
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Mauricio Dubón delivered the big blow on another Maton curveball that caught too much plate for a two-run homer.—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2026
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These programs are technically separate from the refugee program, but they, too, have been disrupted.—
Annie Hylton,
New Yorker,
14 May 2026
Adverb
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Doing so on interactive streaming services isn’t just a matter of marrying an ad with a specific show.—
Michael Schneider,
Variety,
15 May 2026
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And so rivals again assailed Becerra’s performance as state attorney general and Health and Human Services secretary in the Biden administration.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
15 May 2026
Adverb
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After all, the longest until 2114 is really hard not to get excited about.—
Jamie Carter,
Space.com,
10 May 2026
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Izaiah is an active kid who really enjoys being part of a team.—
MARE Staff,
Boston Herald,
10 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Desperately.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desperately. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
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