1
as in intentionally
with full awareness of what one is doing
he purposefully chose the more difficult route to the mountain summit
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in hard
with great effort or determination
strode purposefully into the boss's office, determined to ask for a raise
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of purposefully
Designer pieces are styled purposefully to look undone or not fully completed.
—
Kanika Talwar, Footwear News, 14 May 2026
There is an official timekeeper who purposefully faces away from the drum to avoid any perception of bias.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 11 May 2026
At the same time, our public education system is being purposefully sabotaged by corporate elites seeking to sow doubt about our public schools in order to redirect public money straight into their pockets.
—Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 8 May 2026
One of those blew up on its landing attempt while another was purposefully expended to get its payload to a higher orbital insertion.
—Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 May 2026
The agency previously prided itself on the program’s impartiality and, in an effort to protect its science from the influence of industry, purposefully kept the program separate from the agency offices that craft regulation.
—Sharon Lerner, ProPublica, 1 May 2026
Valentino Cash Amil, 30, was accused of purposefully using his 2024 Mercedes-Benz E350 sedan to strike Dannielle Spillman, 74, outside a gas station on April 13.
—Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 29 Apr. 2026
When public outcry over the Wuhan lab and gain-of-function research increased, the indictment claims that Morens and co-conspirators purposefully moved government communications to private emails in order to hide them from the public.
—Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 28 Apr. 2026
Bain walked purposefully, never slowing, never stopping — not even to size himself up in his new Bucs hat in the mirror — before striding onstage for a hug with the commissioner.
—Zak Keefer, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026
Kanika Talwar, Footwear News, 14 May 2026
There is an official timekeeper who purposefully faces away from the drum to avoid any perception of bias.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 11 May 2026
At the same time, our public education system is being purposefully sabotaged by corporate elites seeking to sow doubt about our public schools in order to redirect public money straight into their pockets.
—Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 8 May 2026
One of those blew up on its landing attempt while another was purposefully expended to get its payload to a higher orbital insertion.
—Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 May 2026
The agency previously prided itself on the program’s impartiality and, in an effort to protect its science from the influence of industry, purposefully kept the program separate from the agency offices that craft regulation.
—Sharon Lerner, ProPublica, 1 May 2026
Valentino Cash Amil, 30, was accused of purposefully using his 2024 Mercedes-Benz E350 sedan to strike Dannielle Spillman, 74, outside a gas station on April 13.
—Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 29 Apr. 2026
When public outcry over the Wuhan lab and gain-of-function research increased, the indictment claims that Morens and co-conspirators purposefully moved government communications to private emails in order to hide them from the public.
—Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 28 Apr. 2026
Bain walked purposefully, never slowing, never stopping — not even to size himself up in his new Bucs hat in the mirror — before striding onstage for a hug with the commissioner.
—Zak Keefer, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for purposefully
Adverb
-
Both sides accuse the other of intentionally attacking civilian targets.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
14 May 2026
-
For Nanos, much of the public criticism overlooks the realities of how complex criminal investigations unfold, especially when detectives are intentionally withholding information to protect the integrity of the case.—
Danielle Bacher,
PEOPLE,
14 May 2026
Adverb
-
Brush in hand, she is dwarfed by huge canvases within the paintings on which bare-breasted figures are in the process of emerging—a waiflike handmaiden hard at work at the feet of her American Helens of Troy.—
Naomi Fry,
New Yorker,
23 May 2026
-
Rising food costs, inflation and thin profit margins have made late-night service harder to justify, while keeping overnight shifts staffed continues to be a challenge.—
Teresa Mull,
FOXNews.com,
23 May 2026
Adverb
-
Jackson called the allegations knowingly false and deliberately timed to damage him among conservative voters as polling showed the race tightening.—
Christopher Harris,
CBS News,
20 May 2026
-
China, by contrast, is doing it deliberately—and at scale.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
20 May 2026
Adverb
-
By the end of the seventeenth century, sassafras had become one of the primary exports of the early English colony of Jamestown, and the aromatic bark was harvested intensively for shipment to European markets.—
Kari Traylor,
JSTOR Daily,
30 Apr. 2026
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Armed with subpoenas, the Secret Service and other agencies are intensively focusing on what might have caused the suspect to book a room at the Washington Hilton, less than two miles north of the White House, on the night of the annual dinner.—
Michael Collins,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
But the videos are purposely lower production value than a traditional ad.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2026
-
Democrats and protestors said the map purposely spreads Memphis' 64%-Black population into three majority-White districts.—
Terry Collins,
USA Today,
8 May 2026
Adverb
-
But energy itself – raucous, coordinated and diligently trained on every shot – seems largely spontaneous and self-generated.—
Hannah Keyser,
CNN Money,
20 May 2026
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While Toyota and ExxonMobil continue to work diligently to maintain supply, the following substitution guidelines are recommended for dealers to help manage the demand for the affected products.—
Byron Hurd,
The Drive,
13 May 2026
Adverb
-
That said, human-like chatbots like ChatGPT are an intensely personal technology, even more so than the social media platforms that came before them.—
Maggie Harrison Dupré,
Futurism,
14 May 2026
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Though the sport can be seen as intensely masculine to the point of toxicity sometimes, Cipriano and Kalyn credit series creators Louisa Levy and Gina Fattore with painting the athletes in a more sensitive and emotionally aware light.—
Dessi Gomez,
Deadline,
13 May 2026
Adverb
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After the Lakers dropped a 125-107 decision, James and his teammates were standing near midcourt, listening intently as Austin Reaves demonstratively spoke to referees.—
Jason Jones,
New York Times,
12 May 2026
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These qualities also tie her to Enyedi herself, who looks as intently and open-mindedly as Grete does.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Purposefully.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purposefully. Accessed 25 May. 2026.
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