as in hesitantly
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Recent Examples of reluctantly
Araminta, assuming that Lord Penwood’s condition was her punishment for not being able to produce a male heir, agreed reluctantly.
—
Jason Pham, StyleCaster, 29 Jan. 2026
The mom-to-be’s condition rapidly worsens, with Addison convincing Amelia — again reluctantly — to restore her privileges and scrub in.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 29 Jan. 2026
Andre Thornton reluctantly accepted the position in 1985.
—Zack Meisel, New York Times, 27 Jan. 2026
It’s primarily told in flashback from present-day, where Poppy is reluctantly reunited with Alex at his brother’s wedding in Barcelona after an estrangement.
—Emily Zemler, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for reluctantly
Jason Pham, StyleCaster, 29 Jan. 2026
The mom-to-be’s condition rapidly worsens, with Addison convincing Amelia — again reluctantly — to restore her privileges and scrub in.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 29 Jan. 2026
Andre Thornton reluctantly accepted the position in 1985.
—Zack Meisel, New York Times, 27 Jan. 2026
It’s primarily told in flashback from present-day, where Poppy is reluctantly reunited with Alex at his brother’s wedding in Barcelona after an estrangement.
—Emily Zemler, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for reluctantly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reluctantly
Adverb
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The show has dipped its toe hesitantly into matters of equity and social stratification this season with mixed results.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
29 Jan. 2026
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As Garfield hesitantly moves forward with his campaign, he is forced to align with Chester Arthur (Nick Offerman), who unexpectedly becomes his running mate, and with the domineering but highly influential Senator Roscoe Conkling (Shea Whigham).—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
6 Nov. 2025
Adverb
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Those who came under suspicion were taken unwillingly to a military hospital in Pretoria, cut off from their families, and subjected to electric shocks.—
Eve Fairbanks,
The Dial,
27 Jan. 2026
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By the end of film, Lough somewhat unwillingly parts ways with SamBot—handing over the chatbot to Altman via tech journalist Kara Swisher—after pressure from producers worried about the legal risks of holding onto the deepfake.—
Beatrice Nolan,
Fortune,
16 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Reluctantly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reluctantly. Accessed 3 Feb. 2026.
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