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
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Recent Examples of likely
Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026
Though some countries have moved to buffer against the war’s worst impacts — several are considering restarting nuclear reactors for the first time in years — the consequences are likely to be long lasting even if the ceasefire holds, experts warned.
—Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 9 Apr. 2026
Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 4 Apr. 2026
Think of such long-term program guys as Jamari McDowell and Elmarko Jackson, both of whom will likely take pay cuts/get recruited over.
—Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 3 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for likely
Adjective
Some call El Niños that pass this threshold of warming super El Niños — relatively rare occurrences that are more likely to generate wide-ranging effects.
—Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026
Though some countries have moved to buffer against the war’s worst impacts — several are considering restarting nuclear reactors for the first time in years — the consequences are likely to be long lasting even if the ceasefire holds, experts warned.
—Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 9 Apr. 2026
Adverb
Rickon said that at 70 pounds, Slim Shady was undersized and likely hadn’t had adequate space for his habitat to this time.
—Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 4 Apr. 2026
Think of such long-term program guys as Jamari McDowell and Elmarko Jackson, both of whom will likely take pay cuts/get recruited over.
—Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 3 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for likely
Recent Examples of Synonyms for likely
Adjective
-
Initially listed as probable, White got downgraded to questionable following the Hornets’ morning shootaround.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Even before the rule takes hold, people are mourning a probable casualty.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Pharmaceutical companies must typically invest many years and hundreds of millions of dollars to win approval for a drug; partly for this reason, some promising treatments are never approved, and many arrive too late for people who urgently need them.—
Dhruv Khullar,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Despite these promising signals, large-scale, long-term human studies remain limited.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
5 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
And then in 1844 came Robert Chambers’s best-selling proto-Darwinist Vestiges of the Natural History of Creation, which sketched a plausible outline of biological evolution.—
Kathryn Hughes,
The New York Review of Books,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Which is to say, that project did not exactly fly under the radar of plausible deniability.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Along with the people-watching at a hotel known for housing stars from Taylor Sheridan’s TV shows, the new menus make the patio the best place to dine on pretty days.—
Bud Kennedy,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Use a sliding door Opting for a sliding door can be both pretty and a practical hack.—
Lindsey Mather,
Architectural Digest,
7 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
Grocery prices will probably be a bit higher.—
Aimee Picchi,
CBS News,
9 Apr. 2026
-
In all fairness, the intense focus on all of this over the past three years probably has made the play, which was a courageous piece to write in 2023, feel less fresh.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Be sure to cover your head and neck with your arms, and crawl under a sturdy table if possible.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
8 Apr. 2026
-
What is expected to be the biggest gathering of possible Democratic 2028 presidential hopefuls is set to happen at the convention for the National Action Network, an organization dedicated to fighting for civil rights and equality.—
Hannah Demissie,
ABC News,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The ground floor is almost entirely devoted to the bright main restaurant and bar.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Situated on a parcel of what was once bright-green Iowa pasture, our supercomputing facility may not look like much.—
Jed Feiman,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Such an initiative would require a credible institutional anchor.—
Comfort Ero,
Time,
3 Apr. 2026
-
This was due to the fact that there were so many credible Democrats dividing the 65% to 70% of voters who at least lean left.—
U T Editorial Board,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Likely.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/likely. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
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