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
There are literally people who are going to die in the future because research didn't get done that would have cured their cancer.
—
Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Apr. 2025
The models are also trained to follow instructions more literally, which requires careful and specific prompting but allows for greater control over the output.
—Janakiram Msv, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025
And the jersey has the DNA, literally and figuratively, of the near crippling anxiety felt by Maris in the face of a very vocal pushback against his quest, first in competing neck-and-neck with the beloved Mickey Mantle for the record and then in favor of Ruth.
—Michael Salfino, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
The depot put Boise on the map — both literally and figuratively, Stevens said.
—Sally Krutzig, Idaho Statesman, 14 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for literally
Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Apr. 2025
The models are also trained to follow instructions more literally, which requires careful and specific prompting but allows for greater control over the output.
—Janakiram Msv, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025
And the jersey has the DNA, literally and figuratively, of the near crippling anxiety felt by Maris in the face of a very vocal pushback against his quest, first in competing neck-and-neck with the beloved Mickey Mantle for the record and then in favor of Ruth.
—Michael Salfino, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
The depot put Boise on the map — both literally and figuratively, Stevens said.
—Sally Krutzig, Idaho Statesman, 14 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for literally
Recent Examples of Synonyms for literally
Adverb
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Jake Locker, drafted by Mike Reinfeldt in 2011, couldn’t stay healthy or throw accurately.—
Joe Rexrode,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2025
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These tests could help providers diagnose endometriosis sooner and more accurately, reducing the need for surgery.—
Laura Young,
Verywell Health,
24 Apr. 2025
Adverb
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Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium.—
Seth Eli Barlow,
Arkansas Online,
29 Apr. 2025
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Diller now has the business leaders reporting directly to him.—
Alex Weprin,
HollywoodReporter,
29 Apr. 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 3 May. 2025.
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