as in quietly
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Recent Examples of faintly
Like all of the film’s most fist-pumping setpieces, of which there are several, the getaway brawl is a fevered array of different fighting styles that smash into each other like concrete blocks to create something faintly new.
—
David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 12 June 2026
One man is menacing, the other faintly absurd, but Rhys embraces the challenges of each role with aplomb — in particular, his physical comedy in the latter has gotten several big laughs out of me.
—Matt Brennan
editor, Los Angeles Times, 10 June 2026
To the person receiving it, the word can land cold, clipped, or faintly dismissive.
—Benjamin Laker, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026
Encouraged out to a party one night by his gregarious best friend (Shanti Masud), David accepts a pill from a stranger and, almost immediately afterwards, notices a young woman (Seydoux) across the room who is fixing him with a faintly predatory stare.
—Jessica Kiang, Variety, 18 May 2026
Only instead of the latest concoction, certain discerning attendees—the ones who have, pointedly, graduated from the Aperol spritz—are ordering a defiantly retro alternative, one that is muddy brown and faintly medicinal.
—Elena Clavarino, Air Mail, 9 May 2026
Above the striping comes mesh in the same color, beneath which pink eye stay loops can be faintly made out before coming to the surface.
—Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 7 May 2026
The dark, burnished stew smelled faintly sweet.
—Restaurant Critic, Houston Chronicle, 6 May 2026
The air smelled faintly of lunch and feet.
—Anna Wiener, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 12 June 2026
One man is menacing, the other faintly absurd, but Rhys embraces the challenges of each role with aplomb — in particular, his physical comedy in the latter has gotten several big laughs out of me.
—Matt Brennan
editor, Los Angeles Times, 10 June 2026
To the person receiving it, the word can land cold, clipped, or faintly dismissive.
—Benjamin Laker, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026
Encouraged out to a party one night by his gregarious best friend (Shanti Masud), David accepts a pill from a stranger and, almost immediately afterwards, notices a young woman (Seydoux) across the room who is fixing him with a faintly predatory stare.
—Jessica Kiang, Variety, 18 May 2026
Only instead of the latest concoction, certain discerning attendees—the ones who have, pointedly, graduated from the Aperol spritz—are ordering a defiantly retro alternative, one that is muddy brown and faintly medicinal.
—Elena Clavarino, Air Mail, 9 May 2026
Above the striping comes mesh in the same color, beneath which pink eye stay loops can be faintly made out before coming to the surface.
—Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 7 May 2026
The dark, burnished stew smelled faintly sweet.
—Restaurant Critic, Houston Chronicle, 6 May 2026
The air smelled faintly of lunch and feet.
—Anna Wiener, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for faintly
Adverb
-
Brunson would not go quietly, using another flurry of points to cut the Spurs’ lead back down to six as the quarter neared the halfway point.—
Kyle Feldscher,
CNN Money,
14 June 2026
-
Little signs of humanity appeared in every direction, quietly defusing what could have become a disaster instigated by fear.—
Antonio Ferme,
Variety,
14 June 2026
Adverb
-
Judge lined it feebly into the glove of an outfielder.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
17 May 2026
-
Infantino, as Henry Bushnell writes, talked rather feebly about working together and, randomly, said an upcoming under-15 tournament for all member associations was something to encourage co-operation.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
Adverb
-
Sandlot Social softly opened this week, offering cheap drinks, beer pong, putt-putt and — perhaps most notably — 10 baseball simulators.—
Jenna Thompson
June 18,
Kansas City Star,
18 June 2026
-
The dress featured a softly plunging, rounded neckline and a fluid, floor-grazing skirt.—
Daisy Maldonado,
InStyle,
17 June 2026
Adverb
-
Jason Arasheben was $28,000 in debt back then, running low on options.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
12 June 2026
-
Mercury, Venus and Jupiter will gather low in the evening sky from June-11 through June 16, 2026, giving skywatchers a brief chance to see three planets together shortly after sunset.—
Jamie Carter,
Forbes.com,
12 June 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 20 Jun. 2026.
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