1
as in weakly
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2
as in tenderly
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of gently
And nothing compares to waking up beside Alice Lake, where sunrise casts the 9,899-foot El Capitan in pale honey light—an image almost perfectly mirrored in gently lapping water below.
—
Madison Chapman, Outside, 25 Mar. 2026
Instead of relying purely on hydration, this formula includes salicylic acid, which gently exfoliates and keeps pores clear so that breakouts don’t come back.
—Hana Hong, Glamour, 25 Mar. 2026
McCarthy, who’s road-tripped from his home in New York City, proceeds cautiously, stepping gently around the mess and breaking down boxes.
—Malina Saval, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2026
Their recipes are developed by veterinary nutritionists; plus, it's gently cooked and frozen to eliminate preservatives.
—Jessica Moore, USA Today, 25 Mar. 2026
Those self-aware lyrics are paired with breezy melody and a gently rollicking rhythm, making this feel like a freewheeling summertime favorite.
—Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 24 Mar. 2026
View gallery - 7 images A wooden dragon sculpture that gently flaps its wings has become a crowd-funding hit, but after seeing the traditional handcrafted work that's been put into every single model, making each one unique, the value of such a piece becomes strikingly clear.
—New Atlas, 24 Mar. 2026
The lip exfoliators have delicate sugar crystals that gently scrub to reveal smooth, supple, flake-free lips.
—ABC News, 24 Mar. 2026
Remove sauce from heat and mix in 2 garlic cloves, finely grated, and pasta, then gently fold in reserved leeks.
—Rebecca Firkser, Bon Appetit Magazine, 23 Mar. 2026
Madison Chapman, Outside, 25 Mar. 2026
Instead of relying purely on hydration, this formula includes salicylic acid, which gently exfoliates and keeps pores clear so that breakouts don’t come back.
—Hana Hong, Glamour, 25 Mar. 2026
McCarthy, who’s road-tripped from his home in New York City, proceeds cautiously, stepping gently around the mess and breaking down boxes.
—Malina Saval, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2026
Their recipes are developed by veterinary nutritionists; plus, it's gently cooked and frozen to eliminate preservatives.
—Jessica Moore, USA Today, 25 Mar. 2026
Those self-aware lyrics are paired with breezy melody and a gently rollicking rhythm, making this feel like a freewheeling summertime favorite.
—Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 24 Mar. 2026
View gallery - 7 images A wooden dragon sculpture that gently flaps its wings has become a crowd-funding hit, but after seeing the traditional handcrafted work that's been put into every single model, making each one unique, the value of such a piece becomes strikingly clear.
—New Atlas, 24 Mar. 2026
The lip exfoliators have delicate sugar crystals that gently scrub to reveal smooth, supple, flake-free lips.
—ABC News, 24 Mar. 2026
Remove sauce from heat and mix in 2 garlic cloves, finely grated, and pasta, then gently fold in reserved leeks.
—Rebecca Firkser, Bon Appetit Magazine, 23 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gently
Adverb
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The system is set up to detect what are called light dark matter particles, which interact so weakly with regular matter that other methods of detecting them have failed.—
Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
17 Mar. 2026
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With his team down by a run in the bottom of the ninth, Araúz pinch hit for Allen Córdoba and grounded out weakly to second base.—
Melissa Lockard,
New York Times,
11 Mar. 2026
Adverb
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Yet the director, Vanessa Caswill, stages it all with a tenderly forlorn Middle American plausibility.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
11 Mar. 2026
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The making of such a film would look a lot like the funny, tenderly melancholic, and wonderful Candidates of Death.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
25 Feb. 2026
Adverb
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And yet, Meghan has embraced a subtle style shift across the last year, experimenting softly with more glamorous looks.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
21 Mar. 2026
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Old hands at the magazine long have whispered that the secret of the Oscar party’s success has been its near-perfect red carpet lighting — meticulously calibrated to softly and forgivingly cover up the flaws of any guest lucky enough to be photographed beneath it.—
Benjamin Svetkey,
HollywoodReporter,
18 Mar. 2026
Adverb
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Redmayne brings a sweetly doltish everyman energy to this increasingly off-kilter affair, with much of the dialogue between him and his co-stars (including Stratton-Twine as the missing woman’s slacker brother) improvised in disarmingly shaggy fashion.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
20 Mar. 2026
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Stellan Skarsgård approaches and holds her hand sweetly.—
Rachel Handler,
Vulture,
16 Mar. 2026
Adverb
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The da Vinci system’s ability to delicately peel and stitch fruit skin illustrated the fine motor control available to surgeons working on human tissue through minimally invasive incisions.—
Samantha Agate,
Miami Herald,
26 Mar. 2026
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From 1964 portrait sessions to The Supremes publicity stills in ‘66, the singer’s shapely ‘do often delicately framed her wispy lashes.—
Essence,
Essence,
26 Mar. 2026
Adverb
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In an interview with US conservative commentator Tucker Carlson, the ambassador was asked about his understanding of a biblical verse suggesting that land including parts of Egypt, Syria and Iraq had been divinely promised to the Jewish people.—
Tim Lister,
CNN Money,
21 Feb. 2026
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When Dunya’s friend Sheefah encourages her to challenge traditions that are supposed to be divinely mandated, certain questions emerge in her mind.—
Hafsa Lodi,
Vogue,
17 Feb. 2026
Adverb
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Heathcliff’s racial ambiguity — so central to the novel’s violence and otherness — is feebly erased.—
Ana Gutierrez,
Austin American Statesman,
11 Feb. 2026
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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
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In this story the problem is treated intimately and compassionately by a woman who knows all about it.—
AJ Willingham,
AJC.com,
12 Mar. 2026
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Williams says the same approach can help caregivers respond more compassionately when someone with dementia expresses a mistaken belief, confusing idea, or hallucination.—
Brian Unger,
CBS News,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gently.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gently. Accessed 30 Mar. 2026.
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