as in innocently
with purity of thought and deed
if you have acted righteously, you have nothing to fear
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Recent Examples of righteously
The darkly comic crime drama pits Frances McDormand's righteously furious mom against a police force that hasn't caught her daughter's killer.
—
Brian Truitt, USA Today, 4 Mar. 2026
But O’Hara is best known for her role as Kate McCallister in Home Alone, the distracted, frantic, righteously determined mom to Macaulay Culkin’s precocious 8-year-old Kevin.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 30 Jan. 2026
Polak is a symbol of virtue where conscience reigns over fear and intimidation to refute the hateful and divisive rhetoric of people like Charile Kirk who self-righteously relished in denigrating and dehumanizing others in a most un-Christian way.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 14 Jan. 2026
This includes even the discourse of human rights that was righteously invoked against Communism and then against Muslim countries, enshrined by numerous American reports, and wielded to justify economic sanctions.
—Victor J. Blue, Harpers Magazine, 23 Nov. 2025
Brian Truitt, USA Today, 4 Mar. 2026
But O’Hara is best known for her role as Kate McCallister in Home Alone, the distracted, frantic, righteously determined mom to Macaulay Culkin’s precocious 8-year-old Kevin.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 30 Jan. 2026
Polak is a symbol of virtue where conscience reigns over fear and intimidation to refute the hateful and divisive rhetoric of people like Charile Kirk who self-righteously relished in denigrating and dehumanizing others in a most un-Christian way.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 14 Jan. 2026
This includes even the discourse of human rights that was righteously invoked against Communism and then against Muslim countries, enshrined by numerous American reports, and wielded to justify economic sanctions.
—Victor J. Blue, Harpers Magazine, 23 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for righteously
Adverb
-
For the person who innocently took her rugby kit to the hospital four years ago, representing her country would feel like a just reward for Balogun’s perseverance and strength of will.—
George Ramsay,
New York Times,
7 May 2026
-
Her pictures, which start innocently enough from the puppy-dog idea, get increasingly demeaning.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
20 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
The Doncic absence prevents the Lakers from properly evaluating their roster against playoff competition, complicating their ability to assess key personnel needs for the offseason.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 May 2026
-
Focus on alternative ways to cool a home, like using ceiling fans, properly insulating the house, and closing your blinds to reduce heat gain.—
Nafeesah Allen,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 May 2026
Adverb
-
Chimaev claimed his focus was purely financial.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
8 May 2026
-
His readership is spliced along a generational divide, and Chao noted how, when the exhibition opened, an elderly couple who had never heard of Vuong-as-writer reacted emotionally to his work purely as a photographer.—
Sarah Moroz,
Literary Hub,
7 May 2026
Adverb
-
Amy Adams and Patrick Wilson play his targets Anna and Tom Bowden, with Anna serving as the more morally dubious of the attorney pair.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
7 May 2026
-
Because of their inattention or intentional decision to swear or affirm loyalty to California’s Constitution, other California US Congressional candidates are legally and morally bound to both the US and California constitutions, effectively preventing effective legislation at the federal level.—
Linh Tat,
Oc Register,
4 May 2026
Adverb
-
Some of us virtuously recycle items that will be transported across the world to smother island nations in single-use plastic bags and water bottles, milk jugs, yogurt tubs, pet food and potato chip bags, Styrofoam meat trays, Coke bottles, Amazon mailing envelopes, and fast-food wrappers.—
Caroline Fraser,
The New York Review of Books,
4 Apr. 2026
-
The glorious sweep of progress toward Roman civilization and prosperity means the end of an idyllic, virtuously rustic Golden Age.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Righteously.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/righteously. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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