MAINLY Synonyms: 57 Similar and Opposite Words

mainly

adverb

ˈmān-lē

Definition of mainly

as in mostly

for the most part you mainly need to focus on improving your golf swing

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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 mainly The Florida Lottery big money draw game luck fell mainly on South Florida Wednesday and Thursday , with three of the four jackpot winners playing in Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Miramar. — David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2026 Seniors Jaylen Smith and Sebastian Hartmann lead an entirely new roster, with nine freshman (mainly local products), five transfers and international flair all over. — Pj Green october 23, Kansas City Star, 23 Oct. 2026 Kern rehired La Perla’s 220 seamstresses with the goal to keep manufacturing the brand in Italy, mainly in the Bologna headquarters. — Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 23 Oct. 2026 So a lot of it was mainly just me and Steven interacting with each other. — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for mainly

Recent Examples of Synonyms for mainly

Adverb

But, mostly, remain with the bedrock of what fueled the Big Three success more than a decade ago and then the Heat’s NBA Final trips success thereafter.

— Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 1 Nov. 2026
Gastrotypographicalassemblage is an approximately eight-by-thirty-four-foot wooden mural composed mostly of culinary terms set in expressive three-dimensional typefaces.

— Alec Mapes-Frances, Artforum, 1 Nov. 2026

Definition of mostly

Adverb

Conventionally, such vessels are primarily designed to support amphibious operations, transport military personnel, deploy helicopters and facilitate landing operations.

— Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 31 Oct. 2026
Silver Cloud primarily sails the Arctic and Antarctica, with more exploratory itineraries in-between, like in the Middle East or Africa.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Oct. 2026

Definition of primarily

Adverb

Billionaires have poured hundreds of millions into super political action committees (super PACs) for campaign ads—chiefly supporting Republican candidates in tight Senate races.

— Connor Greene, Time, 21 Oct. 2026
Long before launch, the team faced obstacles that nearly thwarted the endeavor — chiefly, two rejections from NASA — before finally securing the green light for the $1 billion project under the New Frontiers Program in 2011.

— Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of chiefly

Adverb

The founders argue that existing air freight networks leave thousands of smaller airports largely unused for commercial cargo transportation.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 30 Oct. 2026
There’s likely to be more drama for Democratic positions lower on the ladder, largely for challenges to sitting committee leaders.

— Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of largely

Adverb

On an October weekend, his heavy schedule of stops included greeting people at the annual Boll Weevil Fall Festival in Enterprise, a predominantly white city of about 31,000.

— Kim Chandler, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2026
The district’s Latino electorate is predominantly young, working-class, and migratory – a demographic that historically tracks lower in voter turnout, according to several studies.

— Cindy Carcamo, Christian Science Monitor, 1 Nov. 2026

Definition of predominantly

Adverb

Republicans have a few targets on the board still, principally in Michigan, but also New Hampshire and Minnesota.

— Domenico Montanaro, NPR, 30 Oct. 2026
Both the founders had worked at other New York galleries, Klein principally with Bertrand Delacroix and Massey at Mulherin and Pollard.

— Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of principally

Adverb

The state is generally a Republican stronghold and has trended to the right over the last decade.

— Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 4 Nov. 2026
The songs chosen for the soundtrack are generally intrusive and often chronologically inappropriate, though scenes in which bands are onscreen playing bop and R&B get it right.

— Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2026

Definition of generally

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mainlands

mainly

main man

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“Mainly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mainly. Accessed 5 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of mainly

adverb

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