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
Backfill the soil around the root balls and press down gently on the soil to firm it.
—
David Beaulieu, The Spruce, 11 Feb. 2026
Afterward, gently scrub with a soft toothbrush to remove grooves.
—Louise Parks, Martha Stewart, 11 Feb. 2026
After completing a short quiz, PetPlate recommends gently cooked, human-grade meals made with real meat and vegetables.
—Trisha Easto, USA Today, 11 Feb. 2026
With a knife, swirl tahini sauce gently into salsa.
—Faye Levy, Oc Register, 11 Feb. 2026
Rinse the paste with water and a microfiber cloth; gently rub dry.
—Jessica Elliott, Dallas Morning News, 10 Feb. 2026
Miss Manners would like to remind you gently that a condo is not high school.
—Judith Martin, Mercury News, 10 Feb. 2026
Primarily, there are beta hydroxy acids (BHAs) courtesy of lipo hydroxy acid (LHA), a deep-penetrating chemical exfoliant that gently sloughs off old, dead cells to reveal brighter, fresher skin.
—Tamim Alnuweiri, InStyle, 10 Feb. 2026
Instead, the administration is notified to gently remove them.
—Jane Arraf, NPR, 10 Feb. 2026
David Beaulieu, The Spruce, 11 Feb. 2026
Afterward, gently scrub with a soft toothbrush to remove grooves.
—Louise Parks, Martha Stewart, 11 Feb. 2026
After completing a short quiz, PetPlate recommends gently cooked, human-grade meals made with real meat and vegetables.
—Trisha Easto, USA Today, 11 Feb. 2026
With a knife, swirl tahini sauce gently into salsa.
—Faye Levy, Oc Register, 11 Feb. 2026
Rinse the paste with water and a microfiber cloth; gently rub dry.
—Jessica Elliott, Dallas Morning News, 10 Feb. 2026
Miss Manners would like to remind you gently that a condo is not high school.
—Judith Martin, Mercury News, 10 Feb. 2026
Primarily, there are beta hydroxy acids (BHAs) courtesy of lipo hydroxy acid (LHA), a deep-penetrating chemical exfoliant that gently sloughs off old, dead cells to reveal brighter, fresher skin.
—Tamim Alnuweiri, InStyle, 10 Feb. 2026
Instead, the administration is notified to gently remove them.
—Jane Arraf, NPR, 10 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gently
Adverb
-
In 1946, Congress responded weakly to mounting overseas food needs.—
Peter Simons,
The Conversation,
16 Jan. 2026
-
In 1946, Congress responded weakly to mounting overseas food needs.—
Peter Simons,
Fortune,
14 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
In one picture, a slim teen-ager reaches over tentatively, tenderly, to peel a bandage off another boy’s bare thigh, a moment both touching and wonderfully matter-of-fact.—
Vince Aletti,
New Yorker,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Everything in this recipe is made with love, from the tomato sauce to the filling which is tenderly wrapped in the softened cabbage leaves.—
Mary Alice Russell,
Southern Living,
10 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
This is of course the whole point of conservatism, to go slowly, tread softly, because everything has unintended consequences.—
Abby McCloskey,
Twin Cities,
5 Feb. 2026
-
The café is spacious and softly buzzing, with quiet conversations carrying over from distant tables.—
Pau Mosquera,
CNN Money,
5 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
Many love songs idealize; here, John Prine and Iris DeMent sweetly rattle off a list of each other’s endearing imperfections.—
Rachel Syme,
New Yorker,
13 Feb. 2026
-
The poignant image is juxtaposed with flashbacks of them as children lying sweetly next to one another.—
Natasha O'Neill,
Vanity Fair,
13 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
The paint is splotchy in places and the photographs are pinned delicately to a dark surface, their edges curling, giving the overall installation a textured materiality.—
Deborah Vankin,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Feb. 2026
-
The rest of her hair was pulled up in an undone updo, with a handful of delicately curled tendrils falling down her shoulders for extra romantic effect.—
Kara Nesvig,
Allure,
9 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
There is nothing divinely ordained here.—
Carter Dougherty,
Mercury News,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Last September, Alan Cumming lit up the 2025 Emmy Awards ceremonies in three sharp Tanner Fletcher looks each featuring obscenely oversized bows that perfectly suited his divinely androgynous sense of style.—
Jonathan Borge,
InStyle,
29 Jan. 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
-
Add in last year’s midair collision with Flight 5342 in Washington, a tragedy caused by a wayward military helicopter and compassionately handled by Isom.—
Diane Brady,
Fortune,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Orbitz should have coordinated with Aer Lingus to resolve your refund request promptly and compassionately.—
Christopher Elliott,
Mercury News,
29 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gently.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gently. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.
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