as in humbly
in a manner showing no signs of pride or self-assertion
the dominant personality, he is always taking advantage of his so-called best friend, who just meekly accepts it
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Recent Examples of meekly
Moreover, the notion the public will meekly accept weaker radiation standards without explanation seems foolhardy.
—
Katy Huff, Scientific American, 23 Jan. 2026
Ball handlers would dribble close to the basket, only to meekly back away, sensing him looming.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 17 Dec. 2025
In other words, students prepare for citizenship in a disputatious society by practicing the civic arts—by asserting and advocating for their views—not by meekly absorbing lessons from their instructors.
—Christopher L. Eisgruber, Time, 9 Oct. 2025
Well, after years of stuttering, pausing, juddering, waiting for the goalkeeper to dive and then rolling spot kicks meekly into the net, Nick Woltemade may have just reversed the trend.
—Tim Spiers, New York Times, 6 Oct. 2025
United finished 15th in the Premier League, their lowest league position since they were relegated in 1974, and surrendered meekly to Tottenham in the Europa League final.
—Dan Cancian, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Katy Huff, Scientific American, 23 Jan. 2026
Ball handlers would dribble close to the basket, only to meekly back away, sensing him looming.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 17 Dec. 2025
In other words, students prepare for citizenship in a disputatious society by practicing the civic arts—by asserting and advocating for their views—not by meekly absorbing lessons from their instructors.
—Christopher L. Eisgruber, Time, 9 Oct. 2025
Well, after years of stuttering, pausing, juddering, waiting for the goalkeeper to dive and then rolling spot kicks meekly into the net, Nick Woltemade may have just reversed the trend.
—Tim Spiers, New York Times, 6 Oct. 2025
United finished 15th in the Premier League, their lowest league position since they were relegated in 1974, and surrendered meekly to Tottenham in the Europa League final.
—Dan Cancian, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for meekly
Adverb
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The drive The test took place humbly in downtown Los Angeles, mostly – no race tracks or solo three-lane highway sojourns.—
Josh Max,
Forbes.com,
16 Jan. 2026
-
Theirs started humbly, and a bit unexpectedly.—
Stephanie Breijo,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Jan. 2026
Adverb
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Shields, 62, sheepishly joked after two false starts.—
Jazz Monroe,
Pitchfork,
28 Nov. 2025
-
An engineer with a litter-picker grabbed the fallen cloth and sheepishly moved it behind the machine, out of my line of sight.—
Billy Perrigo,
Time,
14 Oct. 2025
Adverb
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Outwardly Smart behaved submissively, following her captors’ instructions while always looking for a way to escape.—
KC Baker,
PEOPLE,
15 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
What behaves politely in one climate or situation can become problematic in another, such as a garden abutting an open landscape.—
Erica Browne Grivas,
Better Homes & Gardens,
20 Jan. 2026
-
Beckford later asked politely to try on my jacket—a black Double RL officer’s coat from the 90 —and noticed the tags and buttons of a bygone era.—
Zachary Weiss,
Vanity Fair,
18 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Meekly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/meekly. Accessed 10 Feb. 2026.
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