1
as in voluntarily
of one's own free will
I will freely give my life for my country
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in easily
without difficulty
the horse broke the halter rope quite freely
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 freely
In the latest development in the years-long battle over what to do with Winnetka’s lakefront, the Park District has pushed a plan that would construct chain-link fencing on Centennial Beach in order to create an off-leash area where dogs can roam freely.
—
Shun Graves, Chicago Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
Nara Park is home to over 1,000 freely roaming sacred deer, and the Todai-ji Temple inside is the world’s largest wooden structure.
—Lauren Schuster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Apr. 2026
The same logic of privatization that enabled Blackwater to operate freely in Iraq was vesting him with powers previously unimaginable for private entities.
—Ben Tarnoff, Big Think, 23 Apr. 2026
That hit freed Caufield to find Newhook with a pass, and the space created by the hit allowed Newhook to freely skate up the left side, setting up Lane Hutson for a cross-ice, one-timer opportunity on Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy.
—Arpon Basu, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for freely
Shun Graves, Chicago Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
Nara Park is home to over 1,000 freely roaming sacred deer, and the Todai-ji Temple inside is the world’s largest wooden structure.
—Lauren Schuster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Apr. 2026
The same logic of privatization that enabled Blackwater to operate freely in Iraq was vesting him with powers previously unimaginable for private entities.
—Ben Tarnoff, Big Think, 23 Apr. 2026
That hit freed Caufield to find Newhook with a pass, and the space created by the hit allowed Newhook to freely skate up the left side, setting up Lane Hutson for a cross-ice, one-timer opportunity on Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy.
—Arpon Basu, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for freely
Recent Examples of Synonyms for freely
Adverb
-
These hires also show much longer tenure and are less likely to voluntarily quit than other workers — saving companies valuable time and money on turnover.—
Brian Fabes,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
-
The tahini was voluntarily discarded.—
Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado
April 24,
Sacbee.com,
24 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
This premise, bolstered by excellent performances all around, could easily have sustained a totally enjoyable TV show.—
Alexandra Schwartz,
New Yorker,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Doughty’s rim-around was picked off easily by Lehkonen, who sent the puck from below the goal line to the right point for Devon Toews.—
Andrew Knoll,
Daily News,
24 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
The Timberwolves willingly left Jokic open behind the arc.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
24 Apr. 2026
-
When asked why some of the most successful people on Earth would willingly subject themselves to the harsh conditions seen in the show’s promos — such as eating snakes or boiling water to avoid illness — Grylls said, for these stars, the appeal is about authenticity.—
Khloe Quill,
FOXNews.com,
21 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
The real luxury here is how effortlessly the hotel connects you to the best of Santa Barbara.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Dakota Fanning looks effortlessly chic in red with her hair down and natural at the All Her Fault SAG-AFTRA conversation in New York City on April 22.—
Katie Hill,
PEOPLE,
24 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
While Sunset Boulevard appeared busier than usual, traffic there continued to flow smoothly for most drivers.—
Da Lin,
CBS News,
26 Apr. 2026
-
December 22 – January 19 A simple change today makes everything work more smoothly.—
Tarot.com,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
The easy-on, easy-off design is a win for airport security, while the sporty silhouette works with everything from jeans and sweatpants to even skirts.—
Chaise Sanders,
Travel + Leisure,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Nothing was coming easy, not at the plate and not defensively.—
Betsy Helfand,
Twin Cities,
17 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
Maryland built a self-service portal that will allow applicants to access key documents more efficiently.—
Rajiv J. Shah,
Baltimore Sun,
21 Apr. 2026
-
To do that efficiently, the gate must be separated from the active channel by an insulating layer that is as thin as possible.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
Maybe only 22 percent of Americans would readily accept Homelander as their one true God, but his vision might also appeal to those Christians whose fanatic prejudices outweigh any specific loyalty to the Bible and its lessons in compassion.—
Ben Rosenstock,
Vulture,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Reshuffling the order in which minerals emerged would create new opportunities for water’s constituent oxygen and hydrogen to combine, more readily forming hydrated minerals that, unlike ice, can endure close proximity to the blazing sun.—
Javier Barbuzano,
Scientific American,
22 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Freely.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/freely. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
