Definition of justnext
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as in only
nothing more than I was just kidding

Synonyms & Similar Words

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as in right
as stated or indicated without the slightest difference the length of the curtain is just right

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective just differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of just are conscientious, honest, honorable, scrupulous, and upright. While all these words mean "having or showing a strict regard for what is morally right," just stresses conscious choice and regular practice of what is right or equitable.

workers given just compensation

How are the words conscientious and scrupulous related as synonyms of just?

Both conscientious and scrupulous imply an active moral sense governing all one's actions and painstaking efforts to follow one's conscience.

conscientious in the completion of her assignments
scrupulous in carrying out the terms of the will

Where would honest be a reasonable alternative to just?

In some situations, the words honest and just are roughly equivalent. However, honest stresses adherence to such virtues as truthfulness, candor, or fairness.

known for being honest in business dealings

When might honorable be a better fit than just?

While in some cases nearly identical to just, honorable suggests a firm holding to codes of right behavior and the guidance of a high sense of honor and duty.

a difficult but honorable decision

When is upright a more appropriate choice than just?

The synonyms upright and just are sometimes interchangeable, but upright implies a strict adherence to moral principles.

a stern and upright minister

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 just
Adverb
Avoiding all this time suck that comes from not being definitive is just one way of getting that extra hour in the day. CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026 Tatis, reading the moment well in just his third pinch-hitting appearance this year, earned a four-pitch walk. Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026
Adjective
Roth himself plays the hero’s geek dad, who will get his just desserts. Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 4 Aug. 2026 The conduct of the Ukrainian military has never been seriously contested, and most Americans agree that Moscow is the aggressor and that Kyiv is fighting a just war with important geopolitical consequences. Dafna H. Rand, Foreign Affairs, 4 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for just
Recent Examples of Synonyms for just
Adverb
  • The agency’s decision to make the videos public comes almost exactly a month after the encounter, which marked the third shooting involving Oakland police this year and at least the seventh since 2023.
    Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Some states rely on a formula to determine exactly how much money gets returned to borrowers.
    P.R. Lockhart, Hartford Courant, 13 Aug. 2026
Adverb
  • But Olson's foot barely came off the bag, and the call was changed to a hit after the Mets challenged.
    CBS News, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Nadine Visser of the Netherlands secured her first major outdoor title by winning the women's 100 meter hurdles — barely.
    ABC News, ABC News, 11 Aug. 2026
Adverb
  • That uncertainty has only added to the anxiety for people who see the theater as an important part of growing up in Summit County.
    Spencer Wilson, CBS News, 10 Aug. 2026
  • The broader significance is that catalyst design may no longer have to focus only on composition, surface structure and reaction conditions.
    Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 10 Aug. 2026
Adverb
  • But Spain and the northeastern tip of Portugal will experience a special spectacle as totality, which will last just under two minutes, occurs right before sunset.
    Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Angels right fielder Wade Meckler robbed Seager of a home run to end the seventh and preserve a 1-all tie.
    CBS News, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026
Adverb
  • There’s a case to be made for every tic-tac-toe set being a travel tic-tac-toe set, due quite simply to its size; but this leather kit transforms one of the world’s simplest games into a luxury accessory.
    Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Some travel essentials are simply non-negotiable, from a blackout eye mask for sleeping on the plane to a personal safety alarm for peace of mind.
    Hayley Domin, Travel + Leisure, 8 Aug. 2026
Adverb
  • The Indiana Fever — a habitual middle-of-the-pack franchise, 14 years removed from its only championship — have been on a hot streak on the court lately that has carried them up among the championship contenders.
    Leah Asmelash, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Cinema has lately exhausted the emotional mileage of the Ukraine–EU border, but one wittily choreographed setpiece involving the couple’s border crossing finds in transition an ingenious point of convergence between gender and geography.
    Sonya Vseliubska, IndieWire, 7 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • Different fandoms may debate whether the shots fired there are justified, but Bridgers is kind of taking one at herself here, too, amid all the no-love-lost.
    Chris Willman, Variety, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Despite the reforms, the NYPD’s federal monitor has repeatedly said that even when officers conduct a legally justified stop, the subsequent frisk or more invasive search is too often not justified.
    Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 7 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • The common thought is that Boris is actually Doctor Strange, the magic-wielder being a logical choice for an appearance alongside Doom (or at least some evil variant of him).
    Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • What to See and Do In Duluth The North Shore begins where I-35 ends in Duluth—a city that is a great weekend getaway by itself and a logical spot to spend at least one night before your North Shore Scenic Drive trip.
    Ginger Crichton, Midwest Living, 7 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Just.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/just. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026.

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