EXPECTANTLY Synonyms: 72 Similar and Opposite Words

expectantly

adverb

Definition of expectantly

as in confidently

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of expectantly Madore is standing on her hind legs, her beady black eyes peeking out from underneath her woolly fur, looking at the viewer expectantly. — Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2026 Miami-Dade’s Saturday rain showers could not damper the spirit and energy of dozens of Haitians, Haitian Americans and soccer fans crowded together waving flags, beaming expectantly at North Miami’s Moca Plaza to meet players on the Haitian National Football Team. — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 30 May 2026 The anniversary celebration was capped by a performance from Paul McCartney, another flourish in a production designed to project confidence in the path forward as Wall Street waits expectantly for Apple's AI comeback. — Mackenzie Sigalos, CNBC, 4 Apr. 2026 The children waited expectantly. — Mike Hixenbaugh, NBC news, 13 Feb. 2026 Gilberg considered the question, hands clasped beneath his chin, the traffic outside humming expectantly. — Los Angeles Times, 13 Jan. 2026 Inside, guests are greeted by the cozy tavern, a cocktail of rustic Adirondack style and modern trappings—the tables adorned in their nightly best, expectantly awaiting patrons. — Lauren Breedlove, Travel + Leisure, 5 Jan. 2026 Now Ronny looked up at her expectantly. — Bryan Washington, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2025 In the clip, Blakely can be seen looking off camera expectantly, evidently aware something is happening. — Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Aug. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for expectantly

Adverb

The true value of a benefit is realized when employees can confidently access it during some of the most challenging moments in their lives.

— Orla Nixon, Fortune, 26 Oct. 2026
Back in May 2026, renowned insider Rebs Gaming confidently reported that Halo 2 and 3 remakes were in development.

— Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of confidently

Adverb

Unlike the High Church Swift, Defoe was a puritan (in many things), and where the former was suspicious of the economic instrumentalization that turned people into commodities, the latter was positively bullish on the market economy.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2026
Lawrence also noted that becoming a mom has positively impacted her career.

— Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of positively

Adverb

Still, weight loss and some subtle injectable treatments have been interpreted as something to be joyously celebrated with you-go-girl enthusiasm.

— Marci Robin, Allure, 18 Oct. 2026
When Oscar halfheartedly tries to throw a ball into one of the set’s prop cubes and improbably makes the shot, the whole set goes joyously nuts, with the performers leaping up to embrace him and cavort around him.

— Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of joyously

Adverb

As demonstrated in Hijack and Lupin, Kay has a special knack for elevating standard-issue thriller material into giddily addicting TV with his above-average command of storytelling basics.

— Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 30 Sep. 2026
Sherman is sitting across from Kerry Washington and Miley Cyrus, who bounce in their seats and gossip giddily with one another.

— Aidan McLaughlin, Vanity Fair, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of giddily

Adverb

His mid-20th century style reflects both the European zeitgeist and his own exuberantly analytic big-picture sensibility.

— Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026
At times, his psychological explanations may seem almost too orderly for a woman who lived so exuberantly in disorder.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of exuberantly

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“Expectantly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/expectantly. Accessed 31 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of expectantly

adverb

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