as in slightly
by a very small margin
the team lost another game, but at least they performed marginally better this time out
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 marginally
Gas prices did come down from their $5-a-gallon peak in June 2022, but experts say the G7 oil release helped only marginally.
—
Chris Isidore, CNN Money, 10 Mar. 2026
That means less space for comedies, dramas and unscripted shows, which could squeeze some marginally performing series out.
—Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 6 Mar. 2026
Retailers Walmart and Costco were marginally lower on fears that higher gas prices would hit consumers.
—Sean Conlon,chloe Taylor,pia Singh, CNBC, 5 Mar. 2026
Neither satire is subtle, and both marginally overstay their welcome, but each has its gems.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 26 Feb. 2026
Last week’s Supreme Court ruling opened the door to slightly cheaper solar projects nationally and, in theory, marginally lower power bills for Californians — but only if the tariffs stay off the books for years, allowing those small savings to build up across a decade of new projects.
—Chaewon Chung, Sacbee.com, 24 Feb. 2026
If protein bars truly replace candy, perhaps Americans will be marginally healthier.
—Nicholas Florko, The Atlantic, 22 Feb. 2026
The offside flag was raised and the centre-back was marginally in front of the Manchester City backline when the ball was played.
—Chris Waugh, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2026
This therefore changes Saturn's moment of inertia, which takes it marginally out of resonance with Neptune's orbit.
—Keith Cooper, Space.com, 17 Feb. 2026
Chris Isidore, CNN Money, 10 Mar. 2026
That means less space for comedies, dramas and unscripted shows, which could squeeze some marginally performing series out.
—Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 6 Mar. 2026
Retailers Walmart and Costco were marginally lower on fears that higher gas prices would hit consumers.
—Sean Conlon,chloe Taylor,pia Singh, CNBC, 5 Mar. 2026
Neither satire is subtle, and both marginally overstay their welcome, but each has its gems.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 26 Feb. 2026
Last week’s Supreme Court ruling opened the door to slightly cheaper solar projects nationally and, in theory, marginally lower power bills for Californians — but only if the tariffs stay off the books for years, allowing those small savings to build up across a decade of new projects.
—Chaewon Chung, Sacbee.com, 24 Feb. 2026
If protein bars truly replace candy, perhaps Americans will be marginally healthier.
—Nicholas Florko, The Atlantic, 22 Feb. 2026
The offside flag was raised and the centre-back was marginally in front of the Manchester City backline when the ball was played.
—Chris Waugh, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2026
This therefore changes Saturn's moment of inertia, which takes it marginally out of resonance with Neptune's orbit.
—Keith Cooper, Space.com, 17 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for marginally
Adverb
-
Embrace the slightly dystopian vibe and buy a bag of pellets from one of the old-timey pioneer stores to hand-feed the furry descendants.—
Zoey Goto,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Mar. 2026
-
By combining strontium doping and oxygen tuning, the team produced many slightly different versions of the material.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
In astronauts who spent about a year aboard the International Space Station, some areas near the top of the brain moved upward by more than 2 millimeters, while the rest of the brain barely moved.—
Rachael Seidler,
Space.com,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Then use a microfiber cloth barely dampened with water to wipe the fixture clean, making sure to get into any grooves and crevices.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
7 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Marginally.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/marginally. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
