as in correctly
in a manner suitable for the occasion or purpose
the scouts were properly dressed for a week of camping
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Recent Examples of properly
Perhaps, but Alonso’s attentive gaze reworks the meaning of excitement such that a banal exchange with the nearby farmhand, and a drive into the nearby village, provide minor thrills — that is, if you’re properly settled onto Alonso’s serenely sluggish wavelength.
—
Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 16 May 2026
When asked about reports that the bus had stopped on the railway tracks and that the barriers, used to keep motorists away from the tracks when the trains are passing, may not have lowered properly, Siripong said the matter still needs to be investigated.
—ABC News, 16 May 2026
In fact, sodium is an essential nutrient your body needs to function properly, so the real challenge is balance.
—Daryl Austin, USA Today, 16 May 2026
The sentence properly reflects the gravity of the offense while giving due consideration to the cooperation this defendant provided.
—Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 16 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for properly
Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 16 May 2026
When asked about reports that the bus had stopped on the railway tracks and that the barriers, used to keep motorists away from the tracks when the trains are passing, may not have lowered properly, Siripong said the matter still needs to be investigated.
—ABC News, 16 May 2026
In fact, sodium is an essential nutrient your body needs to function properly, so the real challenge is balance.
—Daryl Austin, USA Today, 16 May 2026
The sentence properly reflects the gravity of the offense while giving due consideration to the cooperation this defendant provided.
—Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 16 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for properly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for properly
Adverb
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Finally, a third report authored by John Commons and wealthy suffrage activist Florence Harriman argued—correctly—that Manly’s group wanted unions to be engaged in mass politics rather than just workplace negotiations.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 May 2026
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Advertisement Not one of these 220 recessions was correctly predicted in an April forecast, and the October forecasts, which had access to six months of real-world data, only got it right about half the time.—
Simone Stolzoff,
Time,
12 May 2026
Adverb
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The building is full of character, having at turns been home to a book press, bank, and, most appropriately, the founding headquarters of the Danish Spirit Producers.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
12 May 2026
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Little Compton, Rhode Island East of Newport and west of Cape Cod is a blip of a town (population around 3,600) appropriately named Little Compton.—
Amy Thomas,
Travel + Leisure,
12 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Properly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/properly. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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