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
Kayumi then appeared to sheepishly shrink in his chair.
—
Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 9 Mar. 2026
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
Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 9 Mar. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sheepishly
Adverb
-
Our journey began humbly in 1983 with high-stakes bingo.—
Cody J Martinez,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
-
The archbishop knocks on the door with a pastoral staff and humbly requests admission to the cathedral.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
25 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
That was checkmate, as Martinez grounded out meekly to end the season.—
Tyler Kepner,
New York Times,
4 Mar. 2026
-
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
Adverb
-
The show starts at the 1913 National American Woman Suffrage Association Convention, where Carrie Chapman Catt (Marya Grandy) is doing what she’s done for years, politely asking for the right to vote.—
Ross Raihala,
Twin Cities,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Those absent will include Beatrice and Eugenie of York, who politely declined the Easter invitation of their uncle, King Charles III, in the wake of the arrest of their father, Andrew Mountbatten Windsor.—
Laura Scafati,
Vanity Fair,
4 Apr. 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 15 Apr. 2026.
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