playfully

adverb

as in friskily

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of playfully In 2019, the family of Joe Heller (not that one) playfully celebrated his life in the Hartford Courant. — Sam Roberts, Longreads, 11 Aug. 2026 Dodgers third-base coach Dino Ebel, who had been on the Team USA coaching staff when Crow-Armstrong played in the World Baseball Classic, playfully gave him a hard time about not being in center field for every game. — Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 6 Aug. 2026 Social media users have been trying the combination by dipping their burgers into the popular soda, prompting commenters to playfully push back against the viral concoction. — Saleen Martin, USA Today, 6 Aug. 2026 The colored Post-It notes on Josée’s wall counted down the days left, a playfully moribund teacher’s calendar. — Sai Rajagopal, STAT, 4 Aug. 2026 Teams LeBron spurned, including the Heat and Timberwolves, have seen players like Bam Adebayo and Anthony Edwards playfully vow to challenge him. — Bryan Toporek, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026 At one point, Pataky playfully shoved her husband into a waterfall. — Christina Dugan Ramirez, FOXNews.com, 30 July 2026 Jason Sudeikis playfully shields daughter Daisy Josephine and son Otis Alexander from the beaming Los Angeles sun while at the Ted Lasso season 4 premiere on July 27. — Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 29 July 2026 Some sodas are playfully topped with cotton candy, like the cotton candy cloud ($10), a lurid blue drink made with Starry lemon-lime soda with vanilla and blue raspberry syrups and cream. — Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 21 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for playfully
  1. animatedly
  2. airily
  3. energetically
  4. buoyantly
  5. briskly
  6. skittishly
  7. lively
  8. crisply
Adverb
  • By the end of our call, Michael Sheen is animatedly sharing stories of his family’s (potential) UFO sightings in south Wales.
    — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Threading through the film is Sienkiewicz’s own voice animatedly discussing his process and approach.
    — Rob Salkowitz, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026
Definition of animatedly
Adverb
  • Still, while these surfaces are clearly meant to reflect deeper emotional and cultural truths, Coppola’s mining of them is done glancingly, airily.
    — Naomi Fry, New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2026
Definition of airily
Adverb
  • Plenty of his peers filled the void, none more energetically than Chesney, who has by now built a beachy brand that almost rivals Buffett’s.
    — Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 19 July 2026
  • There was also a large contingent of Iranian fans who energetically waved the nation’s current flag.
    — Todd Harmonson, Oc Register, 16 June 2026
Definition of energetically
Adverb
  • The song's interplay between choir and orchestra is buoyantly euphoric, opening a door to bolder, more intentionally progressive and soulful sounds in the country's mainstream.
    — Marcus K. Dowling, The Tennessean, 2 May 2025
Definition of buoyantly
Adverb
  • Errors and whiffs are briskly airbrushed away by the unending march of content.
    — Aidan McLaughlin, Vanity Fair, 19 Aug. 2026
  • This second season is briskly paced and captivatingly animated, and more time spent with characters like Jubilee, Nightcrawler, and Polaris broadens the series’ ensemble (and allows for flashier fight sequences, thanks to their power sets).
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of briskly
Adverb
  • The horse, not sensing any guidance on its ribcage, begins to move skittishly in tight, concentric circles.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Feb. 2026
  • While skittishly edited, the film nevertheless builds up Faithfull’s biography in basic chronological order.
    — Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 31 Aug. 2025
Definition of skittishly
Adverb
  • On general principles, Harley trikes have also always been … um, kinda lively in their altogether unique what-passes-for-handling department.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The peach came through clearly, though ginger kept the drink lively enough for another sip.
    — Noel Burgess, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
Definition of lively
Adverb
  • This is an exhilarating way to execute a heady conceptual premise, elevated by a brutal wit and crisply staged action sequences.
    — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The Aston, on the other hand, dutifully and crisply responds to inputs.
    — Byron Hurd, The Drive, 23 July 2026
Definition of crisply

Browse Nearby Words

playful
playfully
playfulness
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Cite this Entry

“Playfully.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/playfully. Accessed 22 Aug. 2026.

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