1
as in innocently
with purity of thought and deed
the devout girl vowed to live her life purely and in the service of God
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in solely
for nothing other than
I fish purely for the fun of it—I don't care if I end up with no fish to fry
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of purely
In my opinion, the effort to have Maya Phillips and Rodger Dohm resign or be recalled is purely political.
—
Dan Summers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 May 2026
Of course, with a surface temperature in excess of 860 degrees Fahrenheit (460 degrees Celsius), Venus has no oceans and its Kelvin wave is purely in its atmosphere.
—Keith Cooper, Space.com, 13 May 2026
Just from a purely mathematical standpoint, that was the worst personnel decision in the Disney Corporation.
—Michael Schneider, Variety, 12 May 2026
Advertisement The logarithmic compression reflects the economic principle of diminishing marginal returns to scale preventing very large companies from dominating the ranking purely because of their scale.
—Time Staff, Time, 12 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for purely
Dan Summers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 May 2026
Of course, with a surface temperature in excess of 860 degrees Fahrenheit (460 degrees Celsius), Venus has no oceans and its Kelvin wave is purely in its atmosphere.
—Keith Cooper, Space.com, 13 May 2026
Just from a purely mathematical standpoint, that was the worst personnel decision in the Disney Corporation.
—Michael Schneider, Variety, 12 May 2026
Advertisement The logarithmic compression reflects the economic principle of diminishing marginal returns to scale preventing very large companies from dominating the ranking purely because of their scale.
—Time Staff, Time, 12 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for purely
Recent Examples of Synonyms for purely
Adverb
-
There’s a particularly tragic scene where Natalia, lured on holiday by Elsa, spots a small child innocently giggling at the table across from her at dinner.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
15 May 2026
-
For the person who innocently took her rugby kit to the hospital four years ago, representing her country would feel like a just reward for Balogun’s perseverance and strength of will.—
George Ramsay,
New York Times,
7 May 2026
Adverb
-
All opinions expressed by the CNBC Pro contributors are solely their opinions and do not reflect the opinions of CNBC, or its parent company or affiliates, and may have been previously disseminated by them on television, radio, internet or another medium.—
Jeff Kilburg,
CNBC,
15 May 2026
-
Over the course of Obsession's 108-minute runtime, Nikki transforms into an self-destructive, possessive, and dangerously violent shadow of her former self as Bear's spell forces her to fixate solely on her unnatural devotion to him—no matter the cost.—
Megan McCluskey,
Time,
15 May 2026
Adverb
-
Yet Black representatives have only been elected from majority-Black districts.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
17 May 2026
-
These are the services that reduce harm and support reintegration, unlike arrests that only deepen instability.—
Shianne LeClaire,
Hartford Courant,
17 May 2026
Adverb
-
Slices of cold roast beef, beautiful and rare, come attended by a snowy blob of properly sinus-clearing horseradish cream, with a pickled black walnut on top like the cherry on a sundae and a crumbly wedge of cheddar.—
Helen Rosner,
New Yorker,
17 May 2026
-
Slot is a good communicator who tries to properly answer every question, slipping in the occasional attempt at humour.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
Adverb
-
For most of my life, my free time was spent exclusively reading.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 May 2026
-
McClay decided to pursue her passion by launching a business dedicated exclusively to women’s sports.—
Jean E. Palmieri,
Footwear News,
18 May 2026
Adverb
-
Heard whole, the Barber-Menotti product is as gloriously over the top as anything that Bette Davis ever made with William Wyler—and Heartbeat’s reduction of it to its burning cinders is as just as effective as Glyndebourne’s grandly eloquent take.—
Russell Platt,
New Yorker,
20 May 2026
-
Having overseen the game tent for many years, Cornelius knew just the thing to say in order to goad the customers into buying tickets.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 May 2026
Adverb
-
In that sense, Shadbolt’s food doesn’t have to argue for British cooking so much as simply to practice it, excellently.—
Helen Rosner,
New Yorker,
17 May 2026
-
The National Alliance to End Homelessness reports that cities relying on arrests and sweeps do not see long-term decreases in unsheltered homelessness because people are simply displaced into new areas rather than housed.—
Shianne LeClaire,
Hartford Courant,
17 May 2026
Adverb
-
Matching the anything-goes vibe that flows through the resort, the breezy restaurant pavilion is merely a suggestion—ordering lunch or dinner to your private terrace, a candlelit table on the beach, or one of the dozen-or-so secret seating nooks scattered around the property is actively encouraged.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
18 May 2026
-
Back then, both Riley and Glick felt marginalized, under siege in a country where merely criticizing income inequality was viewed as outrageous.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
17 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Purely.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purely. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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