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 Its body-moving riff and playfully randy lyrics have made the track a regular on FM rock playlists for half a century. — Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 18 Aug. 2026 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
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
  • In what is often considered Pelechian’s magnum opus, the ancient antagonism of nature and humanity plays out in a depiction of a remote farming community, energetically scored with Armenian folk music and Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons.
    — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 18 Aug. 2026
  • 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
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
  • In a hallway, on a sidewalk or a gentle downhill, walk briskly for 6 or more feet, then bring yourself to a complete stop over three progressively shorter steps, softening your knees, hinging slightly at your hips and dropping your center of mass.
    — Dana Santas, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Errors and whiffs are briskly airbrushed away by the unending march of content.
    — Aidan McLaughlin, Vanity Fair, 19 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
  • Drinks come paired with dishes created by chef Jorge Rausch, and rotating DJ sets and live music keep the mood lively long into the night.
    — Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 14 Aug. 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 29 Aug. 2026.

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