as in positively
in a positive or optimistic manner
After months of dwindling sales, the manager declared optimistically that "there is no place to go but up from here".
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Recent Examples of optimistically
Anaheim’s tourism bureau saw 2025 slowed by fires, inflation, tariffs and geopolitical issues, but Visit Anaheim President and CEO Mike Waterman optimistically said 2026 is poised to be the best year in the organization’s 65-year history.
—
Victoria Le, Oc Register, 30 Jan. 2026
Meanwhile, perhaps optimistically, the TV Academy isn’t closing the door to once again splitting outstanding variety series into two.
—Michael Schneider, Variety, 28 Jan. 2026
Before boarding the bus, schoolboy Harrison Higgins, who bangs the drum, literally, for Darlo, optimistically predicts a 2-1 away win.
—Michael Walker, New York Times, 27 Jan. 2026
Yet university leaders have spoken optimistically about the future, bolstered by its new membership in the Mid-American Conference (MAC), its coaching staff and a $25 million renovation of its archaic football stadium.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Be optimistically realistic, as much as possible.
—Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 3 Jan. 2026
The style is the kind still optimistically described as futuristic, though the reopening of a new New Museum in 2025 is a reminder that this future is close to twenty years old, a throwback to a time when smart design and calm authority were still widely believed to be capable of saving the world.
—Jackson Arn, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
Some might optimistically imagine that Google is only tracking their internet searches via Google.
—Susan Tompor, USA Today, 10 Dec. 2025
This approach, known as a judgment-bias test, reveals how optimistically or cautiously an animal interprets uncertainty.
—New Atlas, 7 Dec. 2025
Victoria Le, Oc Register, 30 Jan. 2026
Meanwhile, perhaps optimistically, the TV Academy isn’t closing the door to once again splitting outstanding variety series into two.
—Michael Schneider, Variety, 28 Jan. 2026
Before boarding the bus, schoolboy Harrison Higgins, who bangs the drum, literally, for Darlo, optimistically predicts a 2-1 away win.
—Michael Walker, New York Times, 27 Jan. 2026
Yet university leaders have spoken optimistically about the future, bolstered by its new membership in the Mid-American Conference (MAC), its coaching staff and a $25 million renovation of its archaic football stadium.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Be optimistically realistic, as much as possible.
—Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 3 Jan. 2026
The style is the kind still optimistically described as futuristic, though the reopening of a new New Museum in 2025 is a reminder that this future is close to twenty years old, a throwback to a time when smart design and calm authority were still widely believed to be capable of saving the world.
—Jackson Arn, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
Some might optimistically imagine that Google is only tracking their internet searches via Google.
—Susan Tompor, USA Today, 10 Dec. 2025
This approach, known as a judgment-bias test, reveals how optimistically or cautiously an animal interprets uncertainty.
—New Atlas, 7 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for optimistically
Adverb
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Her identity was confirmed through biometric records at the Abu Kabir Forensic Institute, where her husband, who also works in Israel, positively identified her remains, the embassy said in a statement.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
1 Mar. 2026
-
Chelsea strongly believe that Gittens can be a success at the club, and Rosenior has spoken about him positively.—
Cerys Jones,
New York Times,
28 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
The organization’s mission is to train professionals to help Americans optimize their claiming strategies using specialized software, ensuring retirees confidently understand their options before ever setting foot in a Social Security Administration office.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
2 Mar. 2026
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Also, the study wasn’t large enough to confidently detect small differences in how recommendations might vary by race or gender.—
Melissa Rudy,
FOXNews.com,
2 Mar. 2026
Adverb
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That’s a lot of brain power, which will hopefully be harnessed for the good of humanity, rather than just to enrich pornographers or scam artists.—
Tribune News Service,
Baltimore Sun,
2 Mar. 2026
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So hopefully, there’s more walk-up today.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
1 Mar. 2026
Adverb
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Netflix’s Ted Sarandos likewise ripped Cameron, but Sarandos would still cheerfully kill to acquire a single new Cameron film over a hundred Red Notices and Rebel Moons.—
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Feb. 2026
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One lovely sequence sees an outdoor lunch at the lodge turn into an impromptu dance party with a live musician singing some cheerfully inauthentic bossa nova.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
22 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Optimistically.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/optimistically. Accessed 3 Mar. 2026.
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