as in accurately
in a literal, true, or accurate way
She is not one for hyperbole—all of her warnings should be taken literally. The employees took the CEO's remarks literally and rightfully worried about the future health of the company.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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 literally
But in addition to that property, there are six acres of core forest, which literally stuck out like a thumb within the preserve.
—
Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 4 May 2026
So despite literally hundreds of hours of Star Wars TV shows existing, the 11 films generated an outsized share of viewing.
—James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 4 May 2026
George Wickens is a goalkeeper on the up, quite literally, with Lincoln City, who will be one league away from the Premier League next season after their promotion to the English second tier following 65 years away.
—Eduardo Tansley, New York Times, 4 May 2026
This is literally amounting to people losing property without due process, as an example.
—Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Oc Register, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for literally
Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 4 May 2026
So despite literally hundreds of hours of Star Wars TV shows existing, the 11 films generated an outsized share of viewing.
—James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 4 May 2026
George Wickens is a goalkeeper on the up, quite literally, with Lincoln City, who will be one league away from the Premier League next season after their promotion to the English second tier following 65 years away.
—Eduardo Tansley, New York Times, 4 May 2026
This is literally amounting to people losing property without due process, as an example.
—Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Oc Register, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for literally
Recent Examples of Synonyms for literally
Adverb
-
Walks have exploded under new ABS system With the introduction of challenges, MLB had to essentially redefine the strike zone to ensure that the tracking system would consistently and accurately measure what actually is a strike or ball.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
29 Apr. 2026
-
The transponders allow surface tracking systems to identify a vehicle and accurately plot it on a map displayed in the control tower, as well as sound an alarm if a collision is about to happen.—
Alexandra Skores,
CNN Money,
29 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
Jupiter Jupiter, as darkness falls, will be roughly one-third up from the western horizon to the point directly overhead.—
Joe Rao,
Space.com,
2 May 2026
-
The temptation now is delivered directly through gambling apps and websites.—
Kirk Kenney,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
1 May 2026
Video
Literally
A word that (literally) drives people nuts
Cite this Entry
“Literally.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/literally. Accessed 6 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
