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
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
The Escalade and Navigator are also almost purely expressions of the American market, in that no other car market outside of China buys full-size luxury SUVs in great numbers.
—
Erik Shilling, Robb Report, 9 Jan. 2026
But, from a purely strategical standpoint, neither dateline had previously been associated with anything at the forefront of the sport, which speaks to the seismic shift.
—Kevin Sherrington, Dallas Morning News, 9 Jan. 2026
The analysis of local wastewater has not been a purely local endeavor.
—Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Jan. 2026
The latter event is purely ceremonial and marks the beginning of a parliamentary session, which cannot begin until the monarch gives his or her speech.
—Emma Banks, InStyle, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for purely
Erik Shilling, Robb Report, 9 Jan. 2026
But, from a purely strategical standpoint, neither dateline had previously been associated with anything at the forefront of the sport, which speaks to the seismic shift.
—Kevin Sherrington, Dallas Morning News, 9 Jan. 2026
The analysis of local wastewater has not been a purely local endeavor.
—Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Jan. 2026
The latter event is purely ceremonial and marks the beginning of a parliamentary session, which cannot begin until the monarch gives his or her speech.
—Emma Banks, InStyle, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for purely
Recent Examples of Synonyms for purely
Adverb
-
What began as innocently wagering ten or twenty bucks on games escalated to putting $5,000 on long-shot parlays, day after day.—
Vanity Fair,
Vanity Fair,
12 Jan. 2026
-
Mainstream media didn’t care about Brown and Black youth above Central Park innocently losing their lives.—
Essence,
Essence,
11 Dec. 2025
Adverb
-
Gone are the days of relying on Spanx solely for its shapewear.—
Julia Morlino,
Travel + Leisure,
14 Jan. 2026
-
The filing underscores the administration’s position that immigration enforcement and foreign policy decisions cannot be disentangled from national security concerns and that all of those are solely under the federal government’s purview.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
13 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
Kokoloff said the film industry hasn’t only had to compete domestically, but also internationally because production is moving out of the United States and going to countries offering better financial incentives.—
Marianne Love,
Daily News,
13 Jan. 2026
-
The Jackson County Legislature only has jurisdiction over policies related to the county sheriff’s office and does not have explicit authority over federal immigration agencies or area cities’ police departments.—
Ilana Arougheti,
Kansas City Star,
13 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
This timing is meant to ensure the pill absorbs properly, McCoy explained.—
Jenna Anderson,
Health,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Keep in mind that firm menstrual cups are more likely to open properly after being inserted.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
7 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
The shooting is being investigated by the FBI exclusively.—
WCCO Staff,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
-
The actress also reflected on her role ahead of the 50th anniversary while speaking exclusively to Entertainment Weekly in February 2025.—
Angel Saunders,
PEOPLE,
8 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
Residents near the park, located off David Drive in the Bonnie Brae neighborhood, said they were awakened just before midnight by gunfire and emergency sirens.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
10 Jan. 2026
-
Designed to bridge the gap between automotive ease and aerospace innovation, the vehicle targets consumers looking for adventure rather than just urban commuting.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
Now all that’s left is to simply build upon his turnaround.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Alcohol license holders are simply bound by city and county laws as well.—
Rose Evans,
Idaho Statesman,
8 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
At West Ham, Nuno has aligned himself with a club where the problems run so much deeper than merely trying to prevent the chilly fingers of relegation from closing round their neck.—
Daniel Taylor,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
-
But Huddleston disagreed, saying the charter governs spending money but doesn’t apply to merely appropriating it.—
Don Stacom,
Hartford Courant,
7 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Purely.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purely. Accessed 14 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
