as in courteously
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Recent Examples of politely
Batson posed a follow-up question about the uncertainty principle, politely requesting a reply without unwonted nonsense about bananas.
—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
City clerk staffers politely asked him to put his shoe back on.
—Los Angeles Times, 7 Feb. 2026
Let’s politely say that compared with the rest of the nation, Californians love live entertainment – occasionally at a sporting event.
—Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 5 Feb. 2026
Offshore wind would be politely thanked for its interim service and dismissed.
—Alex Pavlak, Baltimore Sun, 1 Feb. 2026
Coakley makes sure that her troop knows how to make change and how to politely speak to customers, even the difficult ones.
—Michael Butler, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2026
Anyone raising these concerns last season, when Arsenal finished in a distant second place, would be politely informed that the only curb on their creativity was the injuries that were hindering Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka.
—Oliver Kay, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2026
What behaves politely in one climate or situation can become problematic in another, such as a garden abutting an open landscape.
—Erica Browne Grivas, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Jan. 2026
Beckford later asked politely to try on my jacket—a black Double RL officer’s coat from the 90 —and noticed the tags and buttons of a bygone era.
—Zachary Weiss, Vanity Fair, 18 Jan. 2026
Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
City clerk staffers politely asked him to put his shoe back on.
—Los Angeles Times, 7 Feb. 2026
Let’s politely say that compared with the rest of the nation, Californians love live entertainment – occasionally at a sporting event.
—Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 5 Feb. 2026
Offshore wind would be politely thanked for its interim service and dismissed.
—Alex Pavlak, Baltimore Sun, 1 Feb. 2026
Coakley makes sure that her troop knows how to make change and how to politely speak to customers, even the difficult ones.
—Michael Butler, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2026
Anyone raising these concerns last season, when Arsenal finished in a distant second place, would be politely informed that the only curb on their creativity was the injuries that were hindering Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka.
—Oliver Kay, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2026
What behaves politely in one climate or situation can become problematic in another, such as a garden abutting an open landscape.
—Erica Browne Grivas, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Jan. 2026
Beckford later asked politely to try on my jacket—a black Double RL officer’s coat from the 90 —and noticed the tags and buttons of a bygone era.
—Zachary Weiss, Vanity Fair, 18 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for politely
Adverb
-
When a visitor arrives in a classroom, a classroom ambassador welcomes them, introduces himself and the subject being taught, and courteously asks for the visitor’s name and affiliation.—
Walter Fields,
Baltimore Sun,
10 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
Embark on a scenic drive, but do so respectfully.—
Lydia Mansel,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Own your vibe respectfully to strengthen home harmony.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
8 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
Such defendants must be released or civilly committed.—
Shelly Bradbury,
Denver Post,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Litigation went back and forth civilly to the point where leadership needed the help of Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala, who eventually filed nuisance charges in January 2024.—
Lauren Linder,
CBS News,
14 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
Naroditsky removes his blindfold and smiles shyly.—
Jordan Himelfarb,
Time,
15 Dec. 2025
-
By way of reply, the kid puffed up his chest and smiled shyly.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Politely.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/politely. Accessed 11 Feb. 2026.
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