1
as in humbly
in a manner showing no signs of pride or self-assertion
spoke modestly about his accomplishments as an entrepreneur
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in innocently
with purity of thought and deed
dressed modestly to go to church
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of modestly
Business tax collections — which totaled about $130 million in fiscal year 2025 — are expected to grow modestly.
—
Shomik Mukherjee, Mercury News, 7 May 2026
Mellencamp grew up modestly but comfortably in the idyllic town of Seymour, Indiana, the son of a mother who was an artist and nascent beauty queen, and a father who worked a white-collar job with a local electrical contracting firm.
—Literary Hub, 29 Apr. 2026
In a pilot trial involving 16 women with preterm preeclampsia, researchers found that filtering out a protein called sFlt-1 from the pregnant women’s blood was both safe and could modestly reduce their blood pressure.
—Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 27 Apr. 2026
Broadcom fell modestly Monday from Friday's record close.
—Zev Fima, CNBC, 27 Apr. 2026
Dressing modestly is out of respect for the significance of these sites.
—Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 26 Apr. 2026
In 2022, Phillips went modestly viral on social media with a poem, nearly every line of which contained the phrase Let them.
—Boris Kachka, The Atlantic, 24 Apr. 2026
But don’t overlook that California’s construction efforts have modestly mitigated the pain in the wallet.
—Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 24 Apr. 2026
On this modestly sized stage, head chefs Avinandan Kundu and Koyel Roy Nandy display their skills and tell stories of Bengal through a 13-course tasting menu with cocktails that pair perfectly.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
Shomik Mukherjee, Mercury News, 7 May 2026
Mellencamp grew up modestly but comfortably in the idyllic town of Seymour, Indiana, the son of a mother who was an artist and nascent beauty queen, and a father who worked a white-collar job with a local electrical contracting firm.
—Literary Hub, 29 Apr. 2026
In a pilot trial involving 16 women with preterm preeclampsia, researchers found that filtering out a protein called sFlt-1 from the pregnant women’s blood was both safe and could modestly reduce their blood pressure.
—Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 27 Apr. 2026
Broadcom fell modestly Monday from Friday's record close.
—Zev Fima, CNBC, 27 Apr. 2026
Dressing modestly is out of respect for the significance of these sites.
—Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 26 Apr. 2026
In 2022, Phillips went modestly viral on social media with a poem, nearly every line of which contained the phrase Let them.
—Boris Kachka, The Atlantic, 24 Apr. 2026
But don’t overlook that California’s construction efforts have modestly mitigated the pain in the wallet.
—Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 24 Apr. 2026
On this modestly sized stage, head chefs Avinandan Kundu and Koyel Roy Nandy display their skills and tell stories of Bengal through a 13-course tasting menu with cocktails that pair perfectly.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for modestly
Adverb
-
Among all these elaborate and painstakingly studied novelties, loaves of barbari, the bread that kicked it off, await almost humbly.—
Bill Addison,
Los Angeles Times,
9 May 2026
-
Our journey began humbly in 1983 with high-stakes bingo.—
Cody J Martinez,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
For the person who innocently took her rugby kit to the hospital four years ago, representing her country would feel like a just reward for Balogun’s perseverance and strength of will.—
George Ramsay,
New York Times,
7 May 2026
-
Her pictures, which start innocently enough from the puppy-dog idea, get increasingly demeaning.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
20 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
The top candidates in California’s wide-open race for governor took the stage Wednesday night in a Los Angeles debate that began politely but quickly devolved into another raucous clash.—
Seema Mehta,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
-
When her mom politely declined, Heath turned to Press.—
Asli Pelit,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
Adverb
-
Lateef sheepishly raked his hand through his hair.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Kayumi then appeared to sheepishly shrink in his chair.—
Molly Crane-Newman,
New York Daily News,
9 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
The Doncic absence prevents the Lakers from properly evaluating their roster against playoff competition, complicating their ability to assess key personnel needs for the offseason.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 May 2026
-
Focus on alternative ways to cool a home, like using ceiling fans, properly insulating the house, and closing your blinds to reduce heat gain.—
Nafeesah Allen,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 May 2026
Adverb
-
Scorsese shoots them beautifully and deferentially.—
Matt Weinstock,
New Yorker,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Princess Bride is superbly planned and deferentially orchestrated — its theme fits its telling.—
Duane Byrge,
HollywoodReporter,
25 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
This is proof that sometimes divine intervention-like occurrences can happen, occurring purely via the Grace of God.—
Gary Franks,
Hartford Courant,
14 May 2026
-
From another, money is seen purely as a unit of account, a measurement like a meter or a year, so that the question of how much of it there is, is a category error, like asking how many inches there are in Europe.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 May 2026
Adverb
-
Whether a man chose to use that pistol or meekly give up the money to a robber was up to him.—
Richard Selcer,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
25 Apr. 2026
-
That was checkmate, as Martinez grounded out meekly to end the season.—
Tyler Kepner,
New York Times,
4 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Modestly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/modestly. Accessed 15 May. 2026.
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