as in chiefly
for the most part
the tourists were principally concerned with the quantity of the food, and only secondarily with the quality
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of principally
The biggest beneficiaries of Gulf defense spending in recent years have been Western allies, principally the US.
—
Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 13 Apr. 2026
Both are principally manufactured by TSMC.
—Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 10 Apr. 2026
Virginia state agencies would no longer and principally state police, as the largest of the state law enforcement agencies, would no longer put their police officers, their troopers, under the supervision and direction of ICE agents.
—Mike Stunson, USA Today, 9 Apr. 2026
The story is principally set early in 1965, on the stark desert island of Qeshm, in the Strait of Hormuz.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2026
But the job of mayor of a big city like Chicago is principally a management task.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 26 Mar. 2026
To ramp up solar power even faster than Cuba did last year, LeoGrande said other countries, principally China, would have to be willing to double or more their provision of such equipment.
—ABC News, 16 Mar. 2026
Rising electricity prices are being driven principally by rising prices for fossil fuels, especially natural gas.
—Liz Krueger, New York Daily News, 12 Mar. 2026
The lawsuit notes that Lipari, as well as the individuals principally involved in Lipari Brothers’ operations, are white.
—Robert A. Cronkleton
march 5, Kansas City Star, 5 Mar. 2026
Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 13 Apr. 2026
Both are principally manufactured by TSMC.
—Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 10 Apr. 2026
Virginia state agencies would no longer and principally state police, as the largest of the state law enforcement agencies, would no longer put their police officers, their troopers, under the supervision and direction of ICE agents.
—Mike Stunson, USA Today, 9 Apr. 2026
The story is principally set early in 1965, on the stark desert island of Qeshm, in the Strait of Hormuz.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2026
But the job of mayor of a big city like Chicago is principally a management task.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 26 Mar. 2026
To ramp up solar power even faster than Cuba did last year, LeoGrande said other countries, principally China, would have to be willing to double or more their provision of such equipment.
—ABC News, 16 Mar. 2026
Rising electricity prices are being driven principally by rising prices for fossil fuels, especially natural gas.
—Liz Krueger, New York Daily News, 12 Mar. 2026
The lawsuit notes that Lipari, as well as the individuals principally involved in Lipari Brothers’ operations, are white.
—Robert A. Cronkleton
march 5, Kansas City Star, 5 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for principally
Adverb
-
Over the next 30 years, Squeri moved upward to bigger and bigger jobs, chiefly in tech operations and commercial cards.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
6 May 2026
-
Hantavirus spreads chiefly when people inhale air contaminated with the virus, the California Department of Public Health said.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
5 May 2026
Adverb
-
This week, Bonta joined a coalition of 22 attorneys general from mainly Democratic states submitting a comment letter to the Postal Service outlining their opposition.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
8 May 2026
-
While the city's streets are lined with anti-American billboards and posters, Tehran's Museum of Contemporary Art opened an exhibit this week of six works by three American Pop artists of the 1960s -- Roy Lichtenstein, Robert Indiana and James Rosenquist – mainly chosen for their anti-war themes.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 May 2026
Adverb
-
While Hypersail will be primarily powered by the wind in its 131ft high sail plan, the boat will be configured to capture all kinds of renewable energy on its way across the oceans, says Ribigini.—
Andrew Rice,
New York Times,
7 May 2026
-
Throughout the album, the beats are felt primarily in the ribcage and the gut.—
Philip Sherburne,
Pitchfork,
6 May 2026
Adverb
-
Following those highs came a string of solid but unexciting records, which mostly stuck with Metric’s formula while adding the occasional left-field lyric about the Kool-Aid-drinking masses or confounding reference to QAnon.—
Ethan Beck,
Pitchfork,
4 May 2026
-
Used mostly during financial crises, the Fed gives dollars to another country's central bank and receives an equal amount of the foreign bank's currency in return.—
Steve Liesman,Matt Peterson,
CNBC,
4 May 2026
Adverb
-
David Attenborough grew up largely in Leicester, in the center of England, where his father was the principal of a university.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
8 May 2026
-
Democrats in Congress largely looked the other way.—
Lucas Robinson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 May 2026
Adverb
-
And people living in predominantly Black neighborhoods pay higher property tax rates than wealthier, whiter neighborhoods.—
Nathaniel Meyersohn,
CNN Money,
7 May 2026
-
Christian villages along the border with Israel have been mostly spared intense Israeli bombardment that has caused wide destruction in other parts of predominantly Shiite southern Lebanon.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Principally.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/principally. Accessed 9 May. 2026.
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