1
as in probable
having a high chance of occurring
if you don't graduate from high school, your likely fate is a low-paying job
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in promising
having qualities which inspire hope
this looks like a likely spot for good trout fishing
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in plausible
worthy of being accepted as true or reasonable
we didn't find her excuse a very likely story
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in pretty
very pleasing to look at
a likely gal such as yourself should have no trouble getting a date
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in probably
by reasonable assumption
the picnic will likely be cancelled if the storm continues
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of likely
Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 11 Oct. 2025
Keels and Madsen are both likely to end up with the Heat’s G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, this season.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 11 Oct. 2025
Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 12 Oct. 2025
Four or more losses will likely keep Penn State out of the College Football Playoff this season.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for likely
Adjective
Buntin said that if open enrollment begins and these subsidies are not approved and loaded into the enrollment systems, people are likely to see their premiums go up.
—Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 11 Oct. 2025
Keels and Madsen are both likely to end up with the Heat’s G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, this season.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 11 Oct. 2025
Adverb
The foreign surveillance aircraft detected and likely tracked these false radar signals.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 12 Oct. 2025
Four or more losses will likely keep Penn State out of the College Football Playoff this season.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for likely
Recent Examples of Synonyms for likely
Adjective
-
Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer is listed as probable for the Sooners’ rivalry game against Texas, according to the SEC availability report released Thursday evening.—
Sam Khan Jr,
New York Times,
10 Oct. 2025
-
Defensive end Paul Oyewale was also on the report, but he was listed as probable to play.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
With Knight looking sharp and stonewalling several promising scoring chances, Boqvist delivered his fourth game-winning goal since signing with the Panthers before last season and ninth of his career.—
Andre Fernandez,
Miami Herald,
8 Oct. 2025
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As part of his homework, Hanke provided a systemic analysis that narrowed a list of 239 potential candidates to the 50 most promising choices.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
8 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Actually … For all the newfound parity, there’s a plausible scenario where the same three SEC teams that made last year’s CFP (Texas, Georgia and Tennessee) make it again, along with Alabama, which is not exactly an upstart.—
Seth Emerson,
New York Times,
12 Oct. 2025
-
The latter is certainly plausible given Morehead’s passion for science and astronomy.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
This game was not pretty for the home side.—
James Mirtle,
New York Times,
9 Oct. 2025
-
The mask itself is pretty user-friendly and is well-designed for most faces.—
Samantha Leal,
StyleCaster,
9 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
Detroit's season officially ended in heartbreak with a touch of what could have been because this series probably should have been played in Michigan.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
11 Oct. 2025
-
What these clues ultimately add up to is unclear, as of the seven half-hours sent to critics, and probably irrelevant.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Darya Minovi, a senior analyst at the Union of Concerned Scientists, pointed to that pending change as a possible motivation for not publishing the PFNA assessment.—
Sharon Lerner,
ProPublica,
10 Oct. 2025
-
Now, enduring peace in the region is possible.—
Yamiche Alcindor,
NBC news,
10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Their observations revealed an ULIRG hidden just behind the bright quasar, invisible to traditional optical telescopes.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Oct. 2025
-
The bright pink and green exterior of the secluded river lodge perfectly matched her and her fiancé's wedding colors.—
Karissa Waddick,
USA Today,
12 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
No credible evidence was presented to support Maduro’s declared victory.—
Jesus Mesa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Oct. 2025
-
There is a lack of credible research and studies, and only anecdotal evidence (derived from stories people tell).—
Heather Jones,
Verywell Health,
10 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Likely.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/likely. Accessed 14 Oct. 2025.
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