as in meekly
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Recent Examples of passively
There, the camera also swirls around the surreal landmark of a Bill Clinton statue, watching passively over the bustle of the city from a lofty height.
—
Guy Lodge, Variety, 31 Jan. 2026
Only 39% update immediately when prompted, while 61% delay, dismiss or passively handle updates.
—Kate O'Flaherty, Forbes.com, 28 Jan. 2026
Neptune in Aries is about initiating the dream, embodying it, and fighting for a vision rather than passively hoping for one.
—Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 25 Jan. 2026
Your brain is not passively wearing down with age.
—Joanna Fong-Isariyawongse, The Conversation, 23 Jan. 2026
Understanding Foundation Vents Foundation vents are openings that allow air to passively move in and out through your crawl space.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 16 Jan. 2026
The project relied on individuals downloading a client program to their home PC designed to parse data passively collected by a 984-foot-wide radio telescope at the now-shuttered Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 14 Jan. 2026
Seven out of the 10 dogs successfully learned the names of their new toy stingrays and armadillos from passively listening to their owners.
—Adithi Ramakrishnan, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2026
The first test saw owners introduce two new toys and repeatedly label them while interacting directly with the dog, before the dogs then passively watched as their owners spoke to another person about the toys, without addressing the dog at all, in a second situation.
—Becca Longmire, PEOPLE, 9 Jan. 2026
Guy Lodge, Variety, 31 Jan. 2026
Only 39% update immediately when prompted, while 61% delay, dismiss or passively handle updates.
—Kate O'Flaherty, Forbes.com, 28 Jan. 2026
Neptune in Aries is about initiating the dream, embodying it, and fighting for a vision rather than passively hoping for one.
—Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 25 Jan. 2026
Your brain is not passively wearing down with age.
—Joanna Fong-Isariyawongse, The Conversation, 23 Jan. 2026
Understanding Foundation Vents Foundation vents are openings that allow air to passively move in and out through your crawl space.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 16 Jan. 2026
The project relied on individuals downloading a client program to their home PC designed to parse data passively collected by a 984-foot-wide radio telescope at the now-shuttered Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 14 Jan. 2026
Seven out of the 10 dogs successfully learned the names of their new toy stingrays and armadillos from passively listening to their owners.
—Adithi Ramakrishnan, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2026
The first test saw owners introduce two new toys and repeatedly label them while interacting directly with the dog, before the dogs then passively watched as their owners spoke to another person about the toys, without addressing the dog at all, in a second situation.
—Becca Longmire, PEOPLE, 9 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for passively
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
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
-
Shatner pops up in a sports bar and a living room, calmly delivering bathroom-adjacent puns while everyone around him looks stunned.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
6 Feb. 2026
-
The Bulldogs drew up a play for Jake Heidbreder, who calmly drained an open 18-footer on the left baseline at the buzzer and was mobbed by students spilling out of the Save Mart Center stands.—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Feb. 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
-
Despite the chaos, Pannakara has been responding peacefully, with a message of unity.—
Meagan Jordan,
Rolling Stone,
8 Feb. 2026
-
Milan, Italy — Anti-Olympic protesters marched peacefully through Milan on Saturday afternoon, holding signs, marching arm-in-arm, singing and dancing.—
Antonia Mortensen,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
That’s because wood ash is mildly abrasive and naturally alkaline, explains Karina Toner, the operations manager of home cleaning service Spekless.—
Asia London Palomba,
The Spruce,
7 Feb. 2026
-
That is putting it mildly in these extremely spread-out Olympics.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
6 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
This was not Robinson’s experience watching Honnold coolly climb Taipei 101.—
Graham Womack,
Sacbee.com,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Really, Roxana is the most coolly observant survivor of them all.—
Hunter Ingram,
Variety,
1 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
For nearly four decades, the foundation operated serenely.—
Alice Gregory,
New Yorker,
16 Nov. 2025
-
Only chief technology officer John Tornow, who pressed Send from mission control, was serenely confident.—
Graydon Carter,
Air Mail,
1 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Passively.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/passively. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.
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