1
as in sincerely
without any attempt to impress by deception or exaggeration
"You look nice," she commented innocently
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in chastely
with purity of thought and deed
very young children approach the world so innocently
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of innocently
Bethenny Frankel was innocently applying a roller on her face to help with inflammation on Thursday on Instagram.
—
Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 13 Mar. 2026
The mistake begins innocently enough.
—Ana Gutierrez, Austin American Statesman, 10 Feb. 2026
The story starts innocently enough.
—Sergio Pereira, Space.com, 15 Jan. 2026
What began as innocently wagering ten or twenty bucks on games escalated to putting $5,000 on long-shot parlays, day after day.
—Vanity Fair, 12 Jan. 2026
Mainstream media didn’t care about Brown and Black youth above Central Park innocently losing their lives.
—Essence, 11 Dec. 2025
But why didn’t the scholarship go to any of the students at that school, Alberta Dome innocently wonders?
—Tom Smyth, Vulture, 25 Nov. 2025
Participating gas stations innocently suggest using points to lower your out-of-pocket cost at the pump.
—Sarah Hostetler, CNBC, 10 Nov. 2025
His friend had innocently landed on that scene.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Oct. 2025
Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 13 Mar. 2026
The mistake begins innocently enough.
—Ana Gutierrez, Austin American Statesman, 10 Feb. 2026
The story starts innocently enough.
—Sergio Pereira, Space.com, 15 Jan. 2026
What began as innocently wagering ten or twenty bucks on games escalated to putting $5,000 on long-shot parlays, day after day.
—Vanity Fair, 12 Jan. 2026
Mainstream media didn’t care about Brown and Black youth above Central Park innocently losing their lives.
—Essence, 11 Dec. 2025
But why didn’t the scholarship go to any of the students at that school, Alberta Dome innocently wonders?
—Tom Smyth, Vulture, 25 Nov. 2025
Participating gas stations innocently suggest using points to lower your out-of-pocket cost at the pump.
—Sarah Hostetler, CNBC, 10 Nov. 2025
His friend had innocently landed on that scene.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for innocently
Adverb
-
In a video message, Drake spoke sincerely about how much Furtado had inspired him.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
30 Mar. 2026
-
But it’s played sincerely, so the visual contrast just makes the connection feel clumsy, if not outright absurd.—
Sarah Shachat,
IndieWire,
23 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
After nearly 40 years in law enforcement, Harvey spoke openly about the toll a career in public service can take.—
Karen Morfitt,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
-
People were talking about pregaming alliances very openly this season.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
2 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
Her love of the game and drive to improve was coming purely from within.—
Charles Baggarly
April 2,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
2 Apr. 2026
-
One Emirati said people in the UAE want their military to impose a cost on Iran and are no longer satisfied with a purely defensive posture.—
Mohammed Sergie,
semafor.com,
1 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
Cain seems genuinely shocked by this.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The audio tour, narrated by former guards and inmates, is genuinely gripping for older kids.—
Lauren Schuster,
Miami Herald,
30 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
Everyone is urged to properly dispose of cigarette butts, matches, and any other flammable items in appropriate containers.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Shades of Apollo 13 The Artemis astronauts will orbit Earth for a day to make certain everything is working properly before igniting the main engine and heading for the moon.—
Marcia Dunn,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
And beyond a few ad hoc fire safety laws that were scarcely enforced, cities’ building codes and water infrastructure naively lagged far behind the threat cities were creating.—
Noah Haggerty,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Educators are no longer naively wondering if students will use generative AI to do their homework for them.—
Jocelyn Gecker,
Fortune,
25 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
The cast’s sole survivor is Jessica Hecht, who pours miraculous warmth and complexity into her faintly insulting role as Colleen, the head teller, a morally upright spinster goosed by her flirtation with Sonny and the spotlight.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Anyone swanning about feeling morally superior just hasn’t yet had their number called.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
Some of us virtuously recycle items that will be transported across the world to smother island nations in single-use plastic bags and water bottles, milk jugs, yogurt tubs, pet food and potato chip bags, Styrofoam meat trays, Coke bottles, Amazon mailing envelopes, and fast-food wrappers.—
Caroline Fraser,
The New York Review of Books,
4 Apr. 2026
-
The glorious sweep of progress toward Roman civilization and prosperity means the end of an idyllic, virtuously rustic Golden Age.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Innocently.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/innocently. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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