as in originally
in the beginning
we initially intended to rebuild our hurricane-damaged home from the ground up
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 initially
Ejae was initially brought on as a songwriter in 2019 and offered the lead singing role around 2022.
—
Allison Cho, CNN Money, 27 Jan. 2026
But after struggling initially with her fitness, Liu’s jumps returned and returned stronger than before.
—Scott M. Reid, Oc Register, 26 Jan. 2026
Despite some initially mixed reactions, the court of public opinion ultimately decided that MBF was a big win — and the numbers said the same.
—Meghan Mahar, Billboard, 26 Jan. 2026
The Ohio State plaintiffs counter that that Wexner’s position of authority at the school would reasonably have given him valuable insights into how OSU initially responded to allegations against Strauss.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for initially
Allison Cho, CNN Money, 27 Jan. 2026
But after struggling initially with her fitness, Liu’s jumps returned and returned stronger than before.
—Scott M. Reid, Oc Register, 26 Jan. 2026
Despite some initially mixed reactions, the court of public opinion ultimately decided that MBF was a big win — and the numbers said the same.
—Meghan Mahar, Billboard, 26 Jan. 2026
The Ohio State plaintiffs counter that that Wexner’s position of authority at the school would reasonably have given him valuable insights into how OSU initially responded to allegations against Strauss.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for initially
Recent Examples of Synonyms for initially
originally
Adverb
-
The Wildcats' winning streak also tied the Big 12 record to start a season, originally set by Kansas in 1996-97.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
1 Feb. 2026
-
The chapter originally operated at NAU from 2000 to 2016 before closing because of low membership, then returned following a multi-year effort that began in 2018 and culminated with the initiation of 23 members in March 2022, fraternity records show.—
Kathy Tulumello,
AZCentral.com,
1 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Initially.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/initially. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
