as in very
happening in the real world rather than in a story
real-life problems a real-life drama
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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 real-life
Also walking the carpet was Hudson, Drew Tarver, Justin Theroux, Romano, co-creators Mindy Kaling and Ike Barinholtz, and real-life Lakers president Jeanie Buss.
—
Kennedy French, Variety, 16 Apr. 2026
But as the show's love triangle between Kelly, Dylan (played by Luke Perry) and Brenda (Shannen Doherty) grew, so did a rivalry between the real-life actresses.
—Ralphie Aversa, USA Today, 16 Apr. 2026
The photos at Nurse Dana’s workstation, for example, are of actor Katherine LaNasa’s real-life children, and the pets aren’t the only break-room decorations Ruscio sourced from asking around.
—Hershal Pandya, Vulture, 15 Apr. 2026
While the series was primarily filmed in a studio, the real-life house—built in 1959 by Louise Weddington Carson and her husband—was used for exterior shots.
—India Roby, Architectural Digest, 15 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for real-life
Kennedy French, Variety, 16 Apr. 2026
But as the show's love triangle between Kelly, Dylan (played by Luke Perry) and Brenda (Shannen Doherty) grew, so did a rivalry between the real-life actresses.
—Ralphie Aversa, USA Today, 16 Apr. 2026
The photos at Nurse Dana’s workstation, for example, are of actor Katherine LaNasa’s real-life children, and the pets aren’t the only break-room decorations Ruscio sourced from asking around.
—Hershal Pandya, Vulture, 15 Apr. 2026
While the series was primarily filmed in a studio, the real-life house—built in 1959 by Louise Weddington Carson and her husband—was used for exterior shots.
—India Roby, Architectural Digest, 15 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for real-life
Recent Examples of Synonyms for real-life
Adjective
-
And a large part of that spending is going directly into RAM- and storage-hungry GPUs and data centers, in turn leading to the very component supply crunch that is forcing Meta to raise prices on Quest headsets.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Alanis was in the script from the very beginning.—
Kennedy French,
Variety,
17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
It was found [that] the actual tumor was pretty small.—
Meredith Wilshere,
PEOPLE,
18 Apr. 2026
-
The video, which was allegedly posted by an enigmatic pro-Iranian group, claims the embassy was the target, but doesn’t show any actual attack.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
With the technology transitioning from pilot phases to real-world applications, manufacturers and researchers are intensifying efforts to validate performance under extreme conditions.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Apr. 2026
-
The real-world scope of the trial was itself a statement of intent.—
Catherina Gioino,
Fortune,
11 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
While temperatures have largely been above average since the beginning of March, there haven't been many real warm days.—
Terry Eliasen,
CBS News,
14 Apr. 2026
-
The central premise of the show has a group who isolated themselves in upstate New York with no access to media trying to determine which of the news headlines cited by Gutfeld are real.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
13 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
His final line was stellar, with two hits and one walk allowed over eight shutout innings with four strikeouts.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
18 Apr. 2026
-
The Lightning and Panthers were tied 1-1 going into the final minute of the first period of Game 1 last season before Sam Reinhart scored the first of four straight Florida goals with 45 seconds left in the period.—
Eduardo A. Encina,
The Orlando Sentinel,
18 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Romvari films Sasha’s efforts by combining authentic documentary elements—the adult Sasha’s interviews with real-life psychologists and social workers—and scenes featuring dramatic monologues of a rare poetic sublimity.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
12 Apr. 2026
-
The Pitt stays authentic to healthcare and Pittsburgh Renewed for a third season, The Pitt focuses on emergency department doctors at Allegheny General Hospital, and as Wyle has said in the past, it's based in reality thanks to research and conversation with real-life ER professionals.—
Patrick Damp,
CBS News,
11 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
From 1935 to 1938, Temple was the biggest box office draw in the world, filling more seats in theaters than leading man Clark Gable and bona fide superstars like Joan Crawford and Greta Garbo.—
Michelle Duncan,
Architectural Digest,
17 Apr. 2026
-
My mom is a bona fide mule fan, and this pair caught her eye for its plentiful five-star ratings, casual yet elevated feel, and springtime vibes.—
Annie Blackman,
InStyle,
12 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Real-life.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/real-life. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
