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
Relevance
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
The e-commerce giant beat revenue expectations for the fourth quarter yesterday, but earnings per share came in modestly short of Wall Street’s expectations.
—
Alex Harring, CNBC, 6 Feb. 2026
Several herbal supplements can modestly lower cholesterol levels.
—Megan Nunn, Verywell Health, 6 Feb. 2026
Informed of Alumbaugh’s tales of his superiority in the conditioning drills, Hooper smiled modestly.
—Evan Webeck, Mercury News, 6 Feb. 2026
Homes are getting modestly more affordable for Americans.
—Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 5 Feb. 2026
California sports event spending grew modestly over five years.
—Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 5 Feb. 2026
Johnson is more narrowly tailored and modestly designed.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 4 Feb. 2026
When given these payments, low-income individuals are only modestly able to increase spending compared to higher-income people, as many are saddled with debt or other poverty traps.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 1 Feb. 2026
What started as a modestly successful Canadian comedy became a worldwide phenomenon in no small part due to O’Hara’s absolutely perfect comic timing, and impossible to place accent.
—Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 31 Jan. 2026
Alex Harring, CNBC, 6 Feb. 2026
Several herbal supplements can modestly lower cholesterol levels.
—Megan Nunn, Verywell Health, 6 Feb. 2026
Informed of Alumbaugh’s tales of his superiority in the conditioning drills, Hooper smiled modestly.
—Evan Webeck, Mercury News, 6 Feb. 2026
Homes are getting modestly more affordable for Americans.
—Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 5 Feb. 2026
California sports event spending grew modestly over five years.
—Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 5 Feb. 2026
Johnson is more narrowly tailored and modestly designed.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 4 Feb. 2026
When given these payments, low-income individuals are only modestly able to increase spending compared to higher-income people, as many are saddled with debt or other poverty traps.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 1 Feb. 2026
What started as a modestly successful Canadian comedy became a worldwide phenomenon in no small part due to O’Hara’s absolutely perfect comic timing, and impossible to place accent.
—Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 31 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for modestly
Adverb
-
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
-
The story starts innocently enough.—
Sergio Pereira,
Space.com,
15 Jan. 2026
-
What began as innocently wagering ten or twenty bucks on games escalated to putting $5,000 on long-shot parlays, day after day.—
Vanity Fair,
Vanity Fair,
12 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
Adverb
-
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
-
The hack works best if duvets are secured properly or layered separately to prevent shifting.—
Ashley Chalmers,
The Spruce,
8 Feb. 2026
-
Authorities are investigating whether the device did or did not work properly.—
Sean Krofssik,
Hartford Courant,
8 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
Princess Bride is superbly planned and deferentially orchestrated — its theme fits its telling.—
Duane Byrge,
HollywoodReporter,
25 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
This decision from the Virginia court, although made on purely procedural grounds, is likely to increase anxiety among some Maryland legislators who are nervous about adopting their own new map, which is designed to create one additional seat controlled by Democratic voters.—
Sherrilyn Ifill,
Baltimore Sun,
5 Feb. 2026
-
The Pentagon had established a network of 24 satellites purely for defense purposes.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Modestly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/modestly. Accessed 10 Feb. 2026.
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