FIRMLY Synonyms: 82 Similar and Opposite Words

firmly

adverb

Definition of firmly

as in strongly

in a vigorous and forceful manner stomped his feet firmly to get the snow off his boots

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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 firmly It got scuttled by courts in Missouri and then firmly defeated by its voters Tuesday. — Arkansas Online, 5 Nov. 2026 Brand firmly denied all the charges, based on allegations made by six women. — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 5 Nov. 2026 Curry is firmly planted in the Bay Area after signing a two-year, $116 million contract extension with the Golden State Warriors in September. — Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 5 Nov. 2026 On the road and on the track, the vehicle is firmly planted to the roadway. — Roberto Baldwin, ArsTechnica, 5 Nov. 2026 There will always be guests who firmly miss the mark on their clothes. — Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 5 Nov. 2026 Once the discussion turned to patternmaking, construction and the relationship between clothing and the body, Park was firmly in her element. — Thomas Waller, Footwear News, 5 Nov. 2026 Many of the big-ticket lots being offered are by historical, blue-chip artists whose careers were firmly established in the 20th century, from Kandinsky and Monet to Warhol and Basquiat, as opposed to living contemporary artists. — Daniel Cassady For Artnews, Robb Report, 4 Nov. 2026 The role might have been firmly supporting, but the experience really stuck with him. — Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 4 Nov. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for firmly

Adverb

In Beacon Falls, Danbury and Cromwell, developers have strongly signalled their intentions to build but haven’t filed official zoning applications.

— Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 6 Nov. 2026
Brand, who strongly denied wrongdoing, will be sentenced next week.

— Jake Kanter, Deadline, 6 Nov. 2026

Definition of strongly

Adverb

The letter warns that any attempt by Alterra to stop paying rent or abandon the premises without resolving its contractual obligations would be vigorously contested.

— Brian Maass, CBS News, 4 Nov. 2026
In experiments plants that are rigidly staked to prevent their movement or that are grown in pots and turned out of sync with the Sun grow less vigorously and have fewer or smaller leaves.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of vigorously

Adverb

In Germany, nighttime riots injured more than 100 police officers and damaged or looted stores; in Lisbon, Portugal, police forcibly cleared a housing protest encampment.

— Angela Charlton, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2026
Meanwhile, police in Portugal early Sunday forcibly cleared a tent camp set up in Lisbon by activists protesting against high housing costs.

— Freddie Clayton, NBC news, 1 Nov. 2026

Definition of forcibly

Adverb

That level of detail is what makes a modern invite harder to fake and gives guests the confidence to say 'yes' without second-guessing.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 1 Nov. 2026
Randle offered a more useful explanation than simply demanding that everyone play harder.

— C.J. Holmes, New York Daily News, 1 Nov. 2026

Definition of hard

Adverb

Six women allege offenses dating from 1999 to 2009, and Brand denies the allegations vehemently.

— Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 2 Nov. 2026
Yet after the Italian press caught wind of a meeting about a week ago between him and club president Aurelio De Laurentiis, the latter vehemently denied Napoli was for sale.

— Justin Birnbaum, Sportico.com, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of vehemently

Adverb

The easy chemistry translates into the competition itself, where Levine notes that the four coaches are all fiercely competitive, but without the kind of animosity that can sometimes come with fighting over artists.

— Alicia Urrea, Billboard, 2 Nov. 2026
Greg’s colleagues from over the years describe him as fiercely competitive, not just with work projects but also with hobbies like running and weight lifting.

— Julia Black, Vanity Fair, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of fiercely

Browse Nearby Words

firming (up)

firmly

firmness

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“Firmly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/firmly. Accessed 9 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of firmly

adverb

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