Definition of purelynext
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

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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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3
as in only
nothing more than her pleasantries were purely for show and masked her true feelings

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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 purely Research grounded in social identity theory suggests that people frequently incorporate national attachment into their personal identity, which helps explain why debates about patriotism can feel deeply emotional rather than purely intellectual. Maia Niguel Hoskin, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026 Ruth definitely has the best lines of any character in this episode purely based on volume. Jen Chaney, Vulture, 17 June 2026 According to Paul Sharpe, founder of Surfside Garage Doors, these issues aren't purely cosmetic. Tessa Cooper, The Spruce, 17 June 2026 These days, Wilde and Sudeikis are purely focused on co-parenting their two kids — Otis, 12, and Daisy, 9. Rachel McRady, PEOPLE, 17 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for purely
Recent Examples of Synonyms for purely
Adverb
  • The play started innocently enough with Tab Ramos bouncing a one-hop pass to Paul Caligiuri, who played the ball off his chest 40 yards from goal.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 June 2026
  • 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
Adverb
  • The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.
    Isabella Backman, Hartford Courant, 12 June 2026
  • As its name suggests, the Official Vinyl Albums rundown looks solely at purchases on wax.
    Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026
Adverb
  • Ticket Holders are only permitted to bring certain types of bags into stadiums.
    Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 14 June 2026
  • Hart is only the first goalie in NHL history to give up at least four goals in the first four games of a Cup Final, and then did it again in Game 5.
    Matt Reigle OutKick, FOXNews.com, 14 June 2026
Adverb
  • Gould champions the idea of holding dog owners accountable for properly training and containing their dogs.
    Natasha Holt, FOXNews.com, 14 June 2026
  • Downed trees and powerlines stretched across parts of Justice and Hickory Hills along Roberts Avenue, with multiple intersections not working properly because of all the outages.
    Asal Rezaei, CBS News, 14 June 2026
Adverb
  • But Garrett might be peerless in his ability to impact the game — as well as the way teams prepare exclusively for him during the week.
    Jeff Howe, New York Times, 16 June 2026
  • Clive Standen has signed with Range Media Partners for representation, Variety has learned exclusively.
    Joe Otterson, Variety, 15 June 2026
Adverb
  • And Kemp shed his vow of neutrality to back the lieutenant governor just two days before the runoff.
    Greg Bluestein, AJC.com, 17 June 2026
  • Lucy passed away just a month before her second birthday from a brain hemorrhage — cancer-free.
    Siafa Lewis, CBS News, 17 June 2026
Adverb
  • The alien is first believed to be a villain, but his motivations are slowly revealed to be morally gray.
    Brianne Kane, Scientific American, 12 June 2026
  • Laurie will play Control, the fiendish and commanding head of The Circus, Smiley’s morally fickle superior, known only by his code name.
    Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 10 June 2026
Adverb
  • The Knicks simply could not make a shot, missing 16 of their first 18 and each of their first 11 two-point attempts.
    Tim Reynolds, Los Angeles Times, 14 June 2026
  • Risk is not black-and-white; things are not simply safe or dangerous.
    Avni Trivedi, CNN Money, 13 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Purely.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purely. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.

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