1
as in courageously
in a fearless manner
struggled heroically to raise three children on her meager salary
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in honorably
in a manner befitting a person of the highest character and ideals
doctors and nurses worked heroically through the night to keep the patient alive
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 heroically
The film premiered at the Toronto Film Festival and earned McConaughey strong reviews for his portrayal of a school bus driver who heroically saved a group of children during the 2018 fires in Paradise, CA.
—
Justin Kroll, Deadline, 18 Dec. 2025
Efforts to calm tensions have been buoyed by the fact that the man who heroically tackled Akram, fruit shop owner Ahmed al-Ahmed, is himself a Muslim father of two.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 15 Dec. 2025
An example of this emerges right at the start with Shirin’s first outburst, when Kadyr heroically rescues a goat from drowning and hands it to an old man who claims to be its owner.
—Tomris Laffly, Variety, 23 Nov. 2025
Were any of the kids who stayed up to see Yoshinobu Yamamoto heroically close out the series thinking about prop bets or the over/under?
—Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 7 Nov. 2025
But when pressed, Dijkstra describes himself above all as a patriot, heroically committed to the best possible future for Redania.
—Scott Meslow, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2025
On the third day, Borges heroically approached one of the kidnappers and tore off her mask before jumping out of a second-story window and escaping.
—Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 19 Sep. 2025
Directed by Paul Greengrass, The Lost Bus tells the harrowing true story of a school bus driver, Kevein McKay (McConaughey), and a dedicated teacher, Mary Ludwig (Ferrera), who heroically rescued 22 children from a deadly California wildfire.
—Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
His brother, James, serves as an FDNY firefighter and has for nearly a decade at Rescue 4, the firehouse where his father heroically served.
—Gabriele Regalbuto, FOXNews.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Justin Kroll, Deadline, 18 Dec. 2025
Efforts to calm tensions have been buoyed by the fact that the man who heroically tackled Akram, fruit shop owner Ahmed al-Ahmed, is himself a Muslim father of two.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 15 Dec. 2025
An example of this emerges right at the start with Shirin’s first outburst, when Kadyr heroically rescues a goat from drowning and hands it to an old man who claims to be its owner.
—Tomris Laffly, Variety, 23 Nov. 2025
Were any of the kids who stayed up to see Yoshinobu Yamamoto heroically close out the series thinking about prop bets or the over/under?
—Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 7 Nov. 2025
But when pressed, Dijkstra describes himself above all as a patriot, heroically committed to the best possible future for Redania.
—Scott Meslow, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2025
On the third day, Borges heroically approached one of the kidnappers and tore off her mask before jumping out of a second-story window and escaping.
—Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 19 Sep. 2025
Directed by Paul Greengrass, The Lost Bus tells the harrowing true story of a school bus driver, Kevein McKay (McConaughey), and a dedicated teacher, Mary Ludwig (Ferrera), who heroically rescued 22 children from a deadly California wildfire.
—Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
His brother, James, serves as an FDNY firefighter and has for nearly a decade at Rescue 4, the firehouse where his father heroically served.
—Gabriele Regalbuto, FOXNews.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heroically
Adverb
-
Our sense of our own competency enhances our ability to behave courageously, even if we’re terrified initially.—
Ranjay Gulati,
CNBC,
28 Nov. 2025
-
The woman courageously walked into the living room to investigate, but paused.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
House Bill 1037 would waive the fee for a fishing license for active-duty military members and for military veterans who were honorably discharged.—
Bart Pfankuch,
South Dakota News Watch,
12 Jan. 2026
-
Her silence tacitly endorses the president’s pardons of financial criminals the Justice Department had worked honorably to convict.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
8 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
Joshua Patten was a clipper captain in the 1850s, racing bravely – and perhaps recklessly – through the most dangerous waters in the hemisphere to transport goods in hopes of earning a huge payday.—
Stuart Miller,
Oc Register,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Pasha, as he is known, bravely stood up against the Russian government’s endeavor to indoctrinate students nationwide after the country’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
8 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
Instead, dip a cloth or cotton balls in acetone and blot firmly on the remaining polish.—
Emily Benda Gaylord,
The Spruce,
11 Jan. 2026
-
His other go-to bogeyman, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, is now firmly in his lame-duck era as his term ends this spring.—
Allison Morrow,
CNN Money,
11 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
Activists who valiantly defend the less fortunate among us?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 Nov. 2025
-
Clark tried valiantly to fend off the Russian attack.—
Heather Abbott,
CBS News,
17 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Heroically.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heroically. Accessed 18 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
