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
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, 17 June 2026
The mayor either accidentally or purposefully spilled the beans about at least part of the Kelce-Swift wedding being in New York during the Fourth of July weekend.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 16 June 2026
The department also beefed up staff after Heuermann’s arrest, but purposefully did not assign any female correction officers to the unit, and no staff is allowed in unless authorized to work there.
—Philip Marcelo, Fortune, 15 June 2026
The department also beefed up staff after Heuermann's arrest, but purposefully did not assign any female correction officers to the unit, and no staff is allowed in unless authorized to work there.
—ABC News, 13 June 2026
The Dolphins have already purposefully used Washington — and Tolbert — more so with Willis than the other quarterbacks in order to further build their rapport.
—Miami Herald, 13 June 2026
Practicing one thing purposefully for a long period in a certain way can take even longer to reverse even for someone like Machado, who has had the same basic swing mechanics for more than a decade.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 June 2026
Olise has purposefully cultivated a kind of detached non-persona.
—New York Times, 10 June 2026
But the Constitution does not guarantee a painless death, and human life cannot be purposefully extinguished without some risk of pain.
—Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 10 June 2026
Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 June 2026
The mayor either accidentally or purposefully spilled the beans about at least part of the Kelce-Swift wedding being in New York during the Fourth of July weekend.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 16 June 2026
The department also beefed up staff after Heuermann’s arrest, but purposefully did not assign any female correction officers to the unit, and no staff is allowed in unless authorized to work there.
—Philip Marcelo, Fortune, 15 June 2026
The department also beefed up staff after Heuermann's arrest, but purposefully did not assign any female correction officers to the unit, and no staff is allowed in unless authorized to work there.
—ABC News, 13 June 2026
The Dolphins have already purposefully used Washington — and Tolbert — more so with Willis than the other quarterbacks in order to further build their rapport.
—Miami Herald, 13 June 2026
Practicing one thing purposefully for a long period in a certain way can take even longer to reverse even for someone like Machado, who has had the same basic swing mechanics for more than a decade.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 June 2026
Olise has purposefully cultivated a kind of detached non-persona.
—New York Times, 10 June 2026
But the Constitution does not guarantee a painless death, and human life cannot be purposefully extinguished without some risk of pain.
—Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 10 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for purposefully
Adverb
-
National magazines like Life and Ebony capitalized on them, running in their pages idealized portraits of domestic abundance that, intentionally or not, projected an image of culinary uniformity.—
Ashley Rose Young,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
18 June 2026
-
For the past five years, Juneteenth has been recognized as a federal holiday, encouraging people across the country to reflect not only on the nation's tangled past with slavery, but the wider legacy of forgotten, ignored and intentionally buried stories about Black America.—
Drew Pittock,
USA Today,
18 June 2026
Adverb
-
The United States often feels more fractured than fraternal, a search for commonality hard to find in a land of boundaries drawn harder each day.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
13 June 2026
-
Condos have been hit hard by rising costs associated with ownership, such as HOA dues and homeowners insurance.—
Andrea Riquier,
USA Today,
13 June 2026
Adverb
-
The extent to which anybody else is aware of the time-loop is ambiguous; the ship’s skipper is an elderly man with no memory of his name, and at times it’s implied that the town has deliberately trapped these men.—
Sam Bodrojan,
IndieWire,
17 June 2026
-
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,
16 June 2026
Adverb
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One big concern is that screens are intensively stimulating for young people because they are held up close and engage young viewers with things such as fast cuts and colors.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
4 June 2026
-
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
Adverb
-
She was charged with simple assault and purposely/knowingly causing a bodily injury.—
Jamie Ballard,
PEOPLE,
12 June 2026
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She was charged with simple assault and purposely/knowingly causing a bodily injury, the outlet also revealed.—
Hannah Malach,
InStyle,
11 June 2026
Adverb
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Just be sure to diligently shop around for accounts before making a decision, as even minor interest rate differences among banks can add up to substantial earnings differences over time.—
Matt Richardson,
CBS News,
11 June 2026
-
By updating ordinances in advance, and diligently collecting information about any data center proposals that are made, local officials and citizens can protect the best interests of their communities.—
Michael Helbing,
The Conversation,
11 June 2026
Adverb
-
An open-sided viewing carriage engages the senses even more intensely—but hold onto your hat tightly and pack a light jacket.—
Steve Madgwick,
Travel + Leisure,
18 June 2026
-
This, plus the onslaught of traditional banks, in addition to Fidelity and BNY, has created an intensely competitive environment.—
Danielle Chemtob,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
Adverb
-
Rinderknecht sat next to Haney, clad in a dark suit, intently listening to the lawyers’ statements.—
Sierra van der Brug,
Daily News,
10 June 2026
-
Jack appeared to be just as tall as his dad, who could be seen intently watching the game.—
Skyler Caruso,
PEOPLE,
4 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Purposefully.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purposefully. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
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