Thesaurus results for MERELY

merely

adverb

ˈmir-lē

Definition of merely

as in just

nothing more than the outside noise was merely a raccoon knocking over the garbage can

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 merely The Qataris did not give Trump a $400 million jumbo jet merely out of friendship. — Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic, 14 Sep. 2026 What matters is that Muslim Americans are no longer merely a constituency to be courted, feared, or explained. — Ayman M. Mohyeldin, Vanity Fair, 11 Sep. 2026 The lifespan of an adult butterfly varies as well, from merely a few days or weeks to as long as several months. — Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 10 Sep. 2026 And that is far from all, as the bond market has not been revolting against merely a single pledge. — Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 10 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for merely

Recent Examples of Synonyms for merely

Adverb

Researchers want the reactor package to fit inside just two cubic meters.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 16 Sep. 2026
Put simply, Chinese EVs are just better than a lot of the competition, says Howard Yu, a professor of management and innovation at IMD Business School and codirector of the Future Readiness program, which evaluates global car manufacturers.

— Sam Forsdick, Fortune, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of just

Adverb

Granted, Pollard needs only 1,083 yards to achieve a career high, but the Titans would like to get Tyjae Spears more involved and the overall quality of this offense remains a large question mark.

— Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026
These layers can be conductors, insulators, or semiconductor materials and may be only a few nanometers thick.

— Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 7 Sep. 2026

Definition of only

Adverb

That flexibility makes flow batteries particularly relevant to long-duration storage, where systems may need to deliver electricity for several hours rather than simply provide short bursts of backup power.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 12 Sep. 2026
Protecting someone’s right to reject the American experiment is different from treating that rejection as simply another interpretation of it.

— Joe Daniels, Time, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of simply

Browse Nearby Words

mere

merely

meres

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Merely.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/merely. Accessed 17 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of merely

adverb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

watershed

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Popular in Wordplay

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Games & Quizzes