1
as in straight
in a direct line or course
we went directly to the site without stopping to pick up extra supplies
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in openly
in an honest and direct manner
the instructor deals with her art students very directly, always telling them the plain truth
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in accurately
in the same words
quoted directly from the encyclopedia
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in immediately
without delay
in case of a medical emergency, do not try to contact your doctor but instead go directly to the hospital
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in shortly
at or within a short time
dinner should be ready directly
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of directly
PayPal's agentic commerce strategy centers on Store Sync, which connects product inventory and fulfillment directly into the PayPal trust wallet.
—
Josipa Majic Predin, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026
In recent years, college sports have become an unregulated, high-stakes environment in which players are paid directly by schools and can transfer an unlimited number of times.
—Jemele Hill, The Atlantic, 19 June 2026
First, federal funding for residency positions should be tied more directly to geographic and specialty shortages.
—Jocelyn Mitchell-Williams, STAT, 19 June 2026
The exact time of the equinox is the moment the sun is directly overhead at the equator.
—ABC News, 19 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for directly
Josipa Majic Predin, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026
In recent years, college sports have become an unregulated, high-stakes environment in which players are paid directly by schools and can transfer an unlimited number of times.
—Jemele Hill, The Atlantic, 19 June 2026
First, federal funding for residency positions should be tied more directly to geographic and specialty shortages.
—Jocelyn Mitchell-Williams, STAT, 19 June 2026
The exact time of the equinox is the moment the sun is directly overhead at the equator.
—ABC News, 19 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for directly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for directly
Adverb
-
Stood as straight as an I-beam.—
Gene Wojciechowski,
PEOPLE,
21 June 2026
-
Buehler retired nine straight between Josh Jung’s one-out single in the first inning and Wyatt Langford’s one-out walk in the fourth.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
21 June 2026
Adverb
-
By far the best known of Egypt’s players, Salah is a Sunni Muslim who practices his faith openly, on and off the field.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
18 June 2026
-
Like Kennedy, many of them hold anti-vaccine views and are also openly hostile to mRNA technology.—
Beth Mole,
ArsTechnica,
18 June 2026
Adverb
-
The potential benefits of more inclusive workplaces are 2SLGBTQIA+ professionals better placed to develop and produce diverse Canadian stories to more accurately reflect multicultural audiences at home and worldwide.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
18 June 2026
-
No one has ever seen — or, perhaps more accurately, heard — him like this before.—
Ellise Shafer,
Variety,
17 June 2026
Adverb
-
The company, which aired the UFC event live in theaters, did not immediately respond to an inquiry from USA TODAY.—
Marc Ramirez,
USA Today,
18 June 2026
-
White was arrested a few days later and charged with assault for allegedly slapping Kyng in February 2025 after Kyng urinated on himself, but charges related to the child's death were not immediately filed.—
Katie Houlis,
CBS News,
18 June 2026
Adverb
-
The rock band, which consists of Rick Mitarotonda, Trevor Weekz, Peter Anspach and Cotter Ellis, released a statement shortly after the incident, extending their condolences to the victim’s family and loved ones.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
23 June 2026
-
Then, shortly after that team shrank, Tesla’s Full Self-Driving system (FSD) got worse.—
Ashley Belanger,
ArsTechnica,
22 June 2026
Adverb
-
Mary Shelley also seems like the type of person who would fit right into the Widow’s Bay community.—
Jen Chaney,
Vulture,
17 June 2026
-
In May 2026, the 32 year old was named the ambassador for Calzedonia’s SS26 swimwear collection—right after Hailey Bieber broke the Internet with her own campaign for the label.—
Bailey Bujnosek,
InStyle,
16 June 2026
Adverb
-
For example, someone may sincerely believe a supplement, detox or alternative therapy helped when symptoms may have improved naturally or because of expectation alone.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
18 June 2026
-
The back support was there, and as someone who’s five eleven, that was sincerely appreciated.—
Audrey Lee,
Architectural Digest,
15 June 2026
Adverb
-
Debating the ‘Suez moment’ As the two sides enter into the next phase of negotiation, observers are watching closely for what exactly the US gained from a conflict that took a heavy global economic toll.—
Simone McCarthy,
CNN Money,
20 June 2026
-
From Louis through the book, and then his mother knows exactly how to string him along, when to give him love and when to take it away.—
Precious Fondren,
Los Angeles Times,
20 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Directly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/directly. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
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