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
Liberation Station literally exists because of them.
—
Essence, 7 Jan. 2026
There’s literally 20 people who are specifically dedicated to helping the players get their skills up.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 7 Jan. 2026
Tim and Lucy had to be pushed and literally tricked into having that meeting.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 6 Jan. 2026
The portal is seeing yourself, literally, in a mirror, finally put together.
—Rebecca Ford, Vanity Fair, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for literally
Essence, 7 Jan. 2026
There’s literally 20 people who are specifically dedicated to helping the players get their skills up.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 7 Jan. 2026
Tim and Lucy had to be pushed and literally tricked into having that meeting.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 6 Jan. 2026
The portal is seeing yourself, literally, in a mirror, finally put together.
—Rebecca Ford, Vanity Fair, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for literally
Recent Examples of Synonyms for literally
Adverb
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This article was updated to more accurately reflect the author’s views.—
Cristina Palacios,
The Conversation,
8 Jan. 2026
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The plays were eerily similar, with junior guards Danny Mikuta and Carter Coviello and senior forward Andrew Hoffmann sending short passes to Martin, who launched shots instantly and accurately.—
Matt Le Cren,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Jan. 2026
Adverb
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Flyers should try to mitigate any headaches from delays and cancellations by avoiding booking flights with layovers, the non-profit US Public Interest Research Group says, and opt to make reservations directly with the airline rather than a third-party website.—
Emma Tucker,
CNN Money,
8 Nov. 2025
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Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium.—
Terry Mattingly,
Arkansas Online,
8 Nov. 2025
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 10 Jan. 2026.
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