as in quietly
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Recent Examples of faintly
This was a black one with blotches faintly outlined in pale yellow, a beautiful but deadly looking animal.
—
Dr. C. E. Kuschel, Outdoor Life, 9 Apr. 2026
The architecture is predominantly grand Victorian villas in candy-box lilacs and creams, their aged wooden panels faintly reminiscent of a Norwegian coastal town.
—Alexandra Genova, TheWeek, 7 Apr. 2026
The pillow beneath my head is flat and smells faintly of disinfectant.
—Liz Koch, STAT, 6 Apr. 2026
The cast’s sole survivor is Jessica Hecht, who pours miraculous warmth and complexity into her faintly insulting role as Colleen, the head teller, a morally upright spinster goosed by her flirtation with Sonny and the spotlight.
—Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 2 Apr. 2026
Thickened with a little potato and flavored with leeks, shallot, white wine, and the faintly anise-y herb tarragon, this sleeper hit of a soup is subtle, springy, and unexpectedly special.
—Ginger Crichton, Midwest Living, 1 Apr. 2026
The effect grew dream-like, almost David Lynchian, like an AM radio playing faintly at two in the morning, tuning in nothing but forgotten early rock ‘n’ roll singles and rockabilly and a little country.
—Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 31 Mar. 2026
The syrupy sweetness brought to mind a pancake, while the faintly cultured cheese turned it savory.
—Cesar Hernandez, San Francisco Chronicle, 28 Mar. 2026
Bachata played faintly, with plucky notes from the guitar cutting through cows' grunts.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2026
Dr. C. E. Kuschel, Outdoor Life, 9 Apr. 2026
The architecture is predominantly grand Victorian villas in candy-box lilacs and creams, their aged wooden panels faintly reminiscent of a Norwegian coastal town.
—Alexandra Genova, TheWeek, 7 Apr. 2026
The pillow beneath my head is flat and smells faintly of disinfectant.
—Liz Koch, STAT, 6 Apr. 2026
The cast’s sole survivor is Jessica Hecht, who pours miraculous warmth and complexity into her faintly insulting role as Colleen, the head teller, a morally upright spinster goosed by her flirtation with Sonny and the spotlight.
—Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 2 Apr. 2026
Thickened with a little potato and flavored with leeks, shallot, white wine, and the faintly anise-y herb tarragon, this sleeper hit of a soup is subtle, springy, and unexpectedly special.
—Ginger Crichton, Midwest Living, 1 Apr. 2026
The effect grew dream-like, almost David Lynchian, like an AM radio playing faintly at two in the morning, tuning in nothing but forgotten early rock ‘n’ roll singles and rockabilly and a little country.
—Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 31 Mar. 2026
The syrupy sweetness brought to mind a pancake, while the faintly cultured cheese turned it savory.
—Cesar Hernandez, San Francisco Chronicle, 28 Mar. 2026
Bachata played faintly, with plucky notes from the guitar cutting through cows' grunts.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for faintly
Adverb
-
In November 2021, Trap star Josh Hartnett and his longtime partner Tamsin Egerton quietly married in a private ceremony in London.—
Sophie Dodd,
PEOPLE,
20 Apr. 2026
-
When most teenagers are focused on school and social life, Miri Ahuja, a freshman at Evergreen Valley High School, has been busy quietly changing her community — one pad at a time.—
Anne Gelhaus,
Mercury News,
19 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
Heathcliff’s racial ambiguity — so central to the novel’s violence and otherness — is feebly erased.—
Ana Gutierrez,
Austin American Statesman,
11 Feb. 2026
-
One man aboard the boat knew how to navigate the mangroves and sandbars of the keys, and with the late summer sun beating down on the rafters, the boat pushed out feebly into the open ocean.—
Miriam Pensack,
The Dial,
30 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
Days begin at Le Plage, the freshwater pool fringed with parasols and a softly trickling waterfall, where breakfasts of eggs, local bread, warm pastries, and fresh juice appear on the long communal table.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Cool jazz plays softly in the background, and each room has its own distinct feel.—
Tristan Graziano,
Charlotte Observer,
22 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
More low-growing freezeproof shrubs include dwarf yaupon holly, dwarf podocarpus, low-growing camellias and azaleas.—
Tom MacCubbin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
11 Apr. 2026
-
In addition, a helicopter shot in the teaser sweeps low over Oyster Bay, dropping Miranda and Andy at a sprawling waterfront compound that eagle-eyed viewers—or real estate insiders—may recognize as the former estate of Billy Joel.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
10 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
Small branches can be clipped quickly and almost noiselessly and fashioned into an effective blind in only a few minutes.—
Bruce Brady,
Outdoor Life,
8 Apr. 2026
-
On a brilliant midsummer morning, my wife and I stepped into a black Zodiac raft and drifted noiselessly among icebergs five stories high, their emerald and aquamarine walls gleaming above sapphire waters.—
Pico Iyer,
Condé Nast Traveler,
17 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Faintly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/faintly. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
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