as in humbly
in a manner showing no signs of pride or self-assertion
the younger boy, who idolized the older one, would sheepishly follow him around and be at his beck and call
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Recent Examples of sheepishly
Liu sheepishly turned and applauded the 17-year-old Nakai, who raced over and hugged her.
—
Dave Skretta, Chicago Tribune, 19 Feb. 2026
Hisatsune sent roars through the stadium par-3 16th by sinking a 7-foot birdie putt and smiled sheepishly at his chip in on 17 after hitting his tee shot left into the pond.
—Dallas Morning News, 6 Feb. 2026
Shields, 62, sheepishly joked after two false starts.
—Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 28 Nov. 2025
An engineer with a litter-picker grabbed the fallen cloth and sheepishly moved it behind the machine, out of my line of sight.
—Billy Perrigo, Time, 14 Oct. 2025
In Inwood, even a pair of volunteers for Cuomo sheepishly stopped him for selfies.
—Eric Lach, New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2025
Outside the house, Jake finally gets a hold of Anna, and sheepishly threatens to fire her in a way that suggests our guy doesn’t exactly maintain professional boundaries with his attractive young staffers.
—Andy Andersen, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2025
Nick, who was dressed in a crisp two-piece suit and black dress shoes, later emerges from the pool and sheepishly walks over to James to greet her.
—Edward Segarra, USA Today, 12 Aug. 2025
Dave Skretta, Chicago Tribune, 19 Feb. 2026
Hisatsune sent roars through the stadium par-3 16th by sinking a 7-foot birdie putt and smiled sheepishly at his chip in on 17 after hitting his tee shot left into the pond.
—Dallas Morning News, 6 Feb. 2026
Shields, 62, sheepishly joked after two false starts.
—Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 28 Nov. 2025
An engineer with a litter-picker grabbed the fallen cloth and sheepishly moved it behind the machine, out of my line of sight.
—Billy Perrigo, Time, 14 Oct. 2025
In Inwood, even a pair of volunteers for Cuomo sheepishly stopped him for selfies.
—Eric Lach, New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2025
Outside the house, Jake finally gets a hold of Anna, and sheepishly threatens to fire her in a way that suggests our guy doesn’t exactly maintain professional boundaries with his attractive young staffers.
—Andy Andersen, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2025
Nick, who was dressed in a crisp two-piece suit and black dress shoes, later emerges from the pool and sheepishly walks over to James to greet her.
—Edward Segarra, USA Today, 12 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sheepishly
Adverb
-
The drive The test took place humbly in downtown Los Angeles, mostly – no race tracks or solo three-lane highway sojourns.—
Josh Max,
Forbes.com,
16 Jan. 2026
-
Theirs started humbly, and a bit unexpectedly.—
Stephanie Breijo,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
Are members of Congress really supposed to sit meekly and quietly while the president uses the rostrum of their chamber to abuse and insult them in the ugliest language?—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
25 Feb. 2026
-
Moreover, the notion the public will meekly accept weaker radiation standards without explanation seems foolhardy.—
Katy Huff,
Scientific American,
23 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
Though Sarah has politely declined offers from others to pray over her, the nanny powers through.—
Gerald Witt,
AJC.com,
1 Mar. 2026
-
The team politely declined the invitation, citing travel logistics put in place days earlier.—
John Wawrow,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
Outwardly Smart behaved submissively, following her captors’ instructions while always looking for a way to escape.—
KC Baker,
PEOPLE,
15 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sheepishly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sheepishly. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.
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