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
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Recent Examples of directly
Blue Ghost will land on the lunar far side carrying LuSee Night, which will deploy directly from the spacecraft.
—
Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 30 Jan. 2026
Whether on purpose or happy accident, the scent often draws consumers directly to the hot case of ready-to-eat chickens.
—Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 30 Jan. 2026
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
—The Week Us, TheWeek, 30 Jan. 2026
Twelve of the transfers were made directly to Campbell in violation of the charging order.
—Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for directly
Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 30 Jan. 2026
Whether on purpose or happy accident, the scent often draws consumers directly to the hot case of ready-to-eat chickens.
—Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 30 Jan. 2026
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
—The Week Us, TheWeek, 30 Jan. 2026
Twelve of the transfers were made directly to Campbell in violation of the charging order.
—Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for directly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for directly
Adverb
-
Outfit 5 This is the outfit that can do it all—take you straight to the office, out to a classy meal, or right onto a connecting flight.—
Julia Morlino,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Jan. 2026
-
The victory was the 11-3 Aztecs’ fifth straight and boosted them to 5-0 in Mountain West Conference play for the first time since the 2011-2012 season.—
Bill Center,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
Senior executives speak openly about the potential for better customer experience, better products, and fundamentally new business models enabled by AI.—
Peter Bendor-Samuel,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Nipple and areola changes Nipple and areola changes are extremely common postpartum, especially for breastfeeding parents—yet they’re rarely talked about openly.—
Alex Vance,
Parents,
29 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
Yet, Collins maintains that the IRS does not accurately measure the quality of its telephone service.—
Susan Tompor,
USA Today,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Time spent on the job is both the biggest expense and the hardest to accurately gauge, leaving firms to choose between surprising clients with a larger bill or absorbing the additional cost.—
Danielle Higley,
CNBC,
29 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
Officers immediately tackled and arrested Kazmierczak, who was jailed on a preliminary third-degree assault charge, police spokesperson Trevor Folke said.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Instead of waiting for her director to share the data, Amber replied immediately to these emails.—
Chris Lipp,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
Another speaker, Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen, spoke about his father’s family experience during the Holocaust when they were imprisoned at the Bergen-Belson concentration camp — the same one where Anne Frank died shortly before liberation.—
Sal Pizarro,
Mercury News,
26 Jan. 2026
-
The Jackson County Public Library posted a statement on Facebook Sunday evening, shortly before the sheriff announced Morrow's arrest.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
26 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
For me, folklore started right back at school, when our junior headmaster used to sit and tell us tall colorful tales, oral Cumbrian legends and ghost stories, which could be augmented and added to in the telling.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Roger would go out and kind of mess around right before the tournament.—
Patrick McEnroe,
New York Times,
28 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
Dozens of Bay Area mayors, councilmembers and officials signed an open letter calling for Martinez to either sincerely work to repair his relationship with the Jewish community or resign.—
Sierra Lopez,
Mercury News,
21 Jan. 2026
-
Taking a closer look at the societal environments that overshadow low-income communities must be in the equation when sincerely working to stop child abuse.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
This exactly applies to the wines of PFV members, which are the result of knowledge and experiences passed down through generations, embodying each family’s legacy and craftsmanship.—
Yuri Shima,
Forbes.com,
25 Jan. 2026
-
This is exactly what happened in the Presidents' Day storm in 2003.—
Terry Eliasen,
CBS News,
25 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Directly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/directly. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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