as in meekly
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Recent Examples of passively
Because what could be more depressing than just passively watching the world burn and melt and crumble?
—
Literary Hub, 6 May 2026
The significance of the reader/viewer as an active recipient of media messages contests notions of audiences passively accepting the hegemonic discourses channeled through the media.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 5 May 2026
Getting outside and doing hands-on learning is more engaging than sitting in a classroom passively learning by lecture, because active learning engages more regions of the brain, resulting in better understanding and retention of concepts.
—Shelley Mitchell, The Conversation, 23 Apr. 2026
The president, who is the world’s oldest, sat passively as Leo read his speech in French.
—Nicole Winfield, Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2026
Before ChatGPT, about one in three successfully figured it out, independently connecting pretty potent dots for scientific thinking rather than passively absorbing another fact.
—ArsTechnica, 13 Apr. 2026
The system is designed to operate passively, capturing data in the background without requiring interaction.
—New Atlas, 1 Apr. 2026
According to Hoskins, certain houseplant species, such as snake plants, spider plants, and Chinese evergreens, can passively remove VOCs in small quantities.
—Louise Parks, Martha Stewart, 30 Mar. 2026
Engagement means activities such as knitting or solving a puzzle, instead of mindlessly scrolling or passively watching a screen.
—Kaan Ozcan, NBC news, 29 Mar. 2026
Literary Hub, 6 May 2026
The significance of the reader/viewer as an active recipient of media messages contests notions of audiences passively accepting the hegemonic discourses channeled through the media.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 5 May 2026
Getting outside and doing hands-on learning is more engaging than sitting in a classroom passively learning by lecture, because active learning engages more regions of the brain, resulting in better understanding and retention of concepts.
—Shelley Mitchell, The Conversation, 23 Apr. 2026
The president, who is the world’s oldest, sat passively as Leo read his speech in French.
—Nicole Winfield, Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2026
Before ChatGPT, about one in three successfully figured it out, independently connecting pretty potent dots for scientific thinking rather than passively absorbing another fact.
—ArsTechnica, 13 Apr. 2026
The system is designed to operate passively, capturing data in the background without requiring interaction.
—New Atlas, 1 Apr. 2026
According to Hoskins, certain houseplant species, such as snake plants, spider plants, and Chinese evergreens, can passively remove VOCs in small quantities.
—Louise Parks, Martha Stewart, 30 Mar. 2026
Engagement means activities such as knitting or solving a puzzle, instead of mindlessly scrolling or passively watching a screen.
—Kaan Ozcan, NBC news, 29 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for passively
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
Adverb
-
Once the players returned to the field, Diaz inexplicably tried a Panenka-style chip and his weak penalty sailed tamely into the arms of Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
18 Jan. 2026
-
Dominik Szoboszlai had just squandered a golden chance by firing tamely into the arms of Emiliano Martinez after winning the ball back high up the field when the Kop parked their frustration and vocally declared their unwavering faith in the Dutchman.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
2 Nov. 2025
Adverb
-
Surveillance video from the Three Thirty Three Restaurant in Tempe shows the moment the couple allegedly made their move on May 4, calmly lifting a prized bottle of Louis XIII cognac.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
6 May 2026
-
Mac Allister got there first, but his scuffed clearance only fell to Mainoo, who calmly passed the ball into the net.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
4 May 2026
Adverb
-
That sequence also introduces a placidly smiley Kylie Jenner playing herself on seemingly a Valium-Adderall speedball of deluded bounciness.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
24 Jan. 2026
-
Often neglected are the two whorled figures, strolling placidly in the background.—
Doreen St. Félix,
New Yorker,
6 Dec. 2025
Adverb
-
These could simply be great-grandparents put peacefully to rest in old age, a kind of grief far removed from that which children feel over parents who simply cannot care for them, or parents lost to murder or addiction, as some of the letters describe.—
Casey Cep,
New Yorker,
9 May 2026
-
The antisemite also revels in the release of constraints imposed by living peacefully in society with others and finds comfort in joining crowds of people like them.—
Livia Gershon,
JSTOR Daily,
8 May 2026
Adverb
-
To put it mildly, Bain didn’t perform like a rookie.—
Rick Stroud,
The Orlando Sentinel,
9 May 2026
-
Kreider, along with Beckett Sennecke, made the game mildly interesting in the third period with goals to chip away at what was a 5-0 deficit, after which Quenneville pulled goalie Ville Husso with 4½ minutes left to try to pull closer.—
Jim Alexander,
Oc Register,
9 May 2026
Adverb
-
Most of the staff are politely, if coolly, efficient, but there were a couple of more gregarious waitstaff at the restaurant who were happily chatting with diners, explaining the provenance of various ingredients.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 Apr. 2026
-
To wriggle out of Joseph’s grasp, Michael hires a brash young lawyer, John Branca, played by Miles Teller, who lends the coolly confident character a delightfully rough edge.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
23 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
One of the spaces is serenely accented in all white and features rounded paneling that can open or close depending on the client’s preference for privacy.—
Paige Reddinger,
Robb Report,
3 Apr. 2026
-
From the world’s vantage point, Los Angeles can look like a place that glides serenely along beneath a beatific sun.—
Patt Morrison,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Passively.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/passively. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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