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.
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Recent Examples of literally
Pink started things literally inverted, with one of her famous aerial tricks to begin her opening number.
—
Alex Apatoff, PEOPLE, 8 June 2026
Exploring a city through its food gives you a taste — literally — of that place.
—Avni Trivedi, CNN Money, 8 June 2026
There is literally not one single thing that is funny about the story of Oedipus, the Sophocles classic tragedy with a shocking ending.
—ABC News, 8 June 2026
After three decades of literally and figuratively stepping into Revere’s buckled shoes, Lepage plans on retiring from his day job this summer.
—Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for literally
Alex Apatoff, PEOPLE, 8 June 2026
Exploring a city through its food gives you a taste — literally — of that place.
—Avni Trivedi, CNN Money, 8 June 2026
There is literally not one single thing that is funny about the story of Oedipus, the Sophocles classic tragedy with a shocking ending.
—ABC News, 8 June 2026
After three decades of literally and figuratively stepping into Revere’s buckled shoes, Lepage plans on retiring from his day job this summer.
—Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for literally
Recent Examples of Synonyms for literally
Adverb
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Or, perhaps more accurately, the dream-diary of a person who knows the country but didn’t step foot anywhere near it to make his movie.—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
11 June 2026
-
The most famous—or, more accurately, infamous—grace-and-favor residence was Royal Lodge.—
Elise Taylor,
Vanity Fair,
11 June 2026
Adverb
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The probability of lightning strikes rises as a thunderstorm approaches and peaks when the storm is directly above.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
13 June 2026
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The Little Nell is firmly ensconced in Aspen's heart, directly at the base of Ajax mountain, surrounded by luxury jewelers, fur shops, and boutique purveyors of luxe outer wear (Gorsuch boutique is attached to the hotel), and tony cafes like the Gorsuch Ski Cafe across the way.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
12 June 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 16 Jun. 2026.
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