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 Sandra Bullock kicked off the reel, playfully alluding to Abdy’s change in employment status. — Marc Malkin, Variety, 6 Nov. 2026 The pastel-yellow lounge with its low ceiling and eclectic armchairs in the same soft hue playfully recalls the roaring twenties. — Kasia Dietz, Travel + Leisure, 5 Nov. 2026 Rama informs her of his marital status and playfully directs her to Lakshmana, presenting him as unmarried. — Tamanna Nangia, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Oct. 2026 Wachowski’s involvement brings her genre expertise to a film that is said to playfully subvert horror and comedy conventions. — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 27 Oct. 2026 The boys frolic in the sand, playfully wrestle with each other, and drive an orange camper van; some young women join the fun midway through, running across the dunes alongside the group. — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 26 Oct. 2026 As the characters playfully debated the rise of Fascism, the dialogue often felt transcribed from some Brooklyn polycule. — Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2026 Fitzpatrick playfully responded to Talib in a video Sunday but did not fully address his criticism of Nix until appearing on his podcast. — Ryan Canfield Outkick, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2026 But on this day in 1597, the Native Americans aren’t waiting on this shore to playfully grapple with him. — Adam Van Brimmer, AJC.com, 22 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for playfully
  1. animatedly
  2. airily
  3. energetically
  4. buoyantly
  5. briskly
  6. skittishly
  7. lively
  8. crisply
Adverb
  • Bindi, now a mother herself, posted a touching video of Steve animatedly describing her birth.
    — Rachel McRady, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2026
  • 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
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
  • During winter, both kinglet species flit among tree branches, frequently hovering and energetically flicking their wings to startle insects into movement.
    — Charles Seabrook, AJC.com, 7 Nov. 2026
  • Italians are fed energetically with the sustenance of beauty, ease, and joy.
    — Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 23 Oct. 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
  • Guillot walked briskly into the other room and through the open window, ignoring his comrades' inquiries.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 10 Nov. 2026
  • Buyers in rubber boots moved briskly between the rows, using hooks and flashlights to inspect the fat marbling and ruby-red sheen of each tail cross-section before the rapid-fire hand-signal bidding began.
    — Liam Hess, Vogue, 7 Nov. 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
  • La Parguera’s main square is buzzing with souvenir shops, street vendors, and local bars that stay lively well into the night.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Fresh dill both in the filling and on top adds herbaceous notes that keep every bite lively.
    — Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of lively
Adverb
  • All new to Laguna, crisply put through their paces by director Hunter Foster, this quartet of comic acting presences puts impressive physicality into play.
    — Christopher Smith, Oc Register, 6 Nov. 2026
  • The chiclet keys on the Surface Laptop Ultra use a scissor-switch design with a dampened bottom-out mechanism that offers an exceptionally comfortable typing feel, despite landing softly (not crisply) at the bottom of the keystroke.
    — Brian Westover, PC Magazine, 4 Nov. 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 14 Nov. 2026.

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