as in independently
without aid or support
the team's star slugger hit three home runs, effectively winning the game single-handedly
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Recent Examples of single-handedly
Beyond a glaring betrayal of the medium the Drafthouse once sought to exalt, the QR policy single-handedly reduces the theater from a sacred space to just another room, which is an illusion that even AMC nominally pledges to maintain.
—
David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 10 Apr. 2026
When will Connecticut wake up and finally understand that their beloved Blumenthal – and his uncanny infatuation with lawsuits and investigations – has single-handedly sabotaged the state’s chances of ever being seriously considered again for a professional sports franchise?
—Matthew Chudoba, Hartford Courant, 7 Apr. 2026
Jordan Burks scored 22 points and hit six 3-pointers – including one that made it 72-69 with 10 seconds left – to almost single-handedly carry UCF (21-12) to a comeback win.
—Daily News, 21 Mar. 2026
Jordan Burks scored 22 points and hit six 3-pointers — including one that made it 72-69 with 10 seconds left — to almost single-handedly carry UCF (21-12) into the second round.
—CBS News, 20 Mar. 2026
Two years ago, Oakland’s Jack Gohlke went 10-for-10 from deep and nearly single-handedly led the 14th-seed Grizzlies to an upset of Kentucky.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 18 Mar. 2026
The forward, of course, cannot be expected to single-handedly solve the defensive woes of a bottom-10 defense.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 13 Mar. 2026
Ayton almost single-handedly kept the Lakers in contention in the first half, scoring 12 of his 14 points in the second quarter and had a first-half double-double with 11 rebounds.
—Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2026
In a show filled with a wide range of morally and ethically questionable characters, Wilding makes Nova into possibly the story’s purest hero, single-handedly pushing the plot forward at certain points.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 10 Mar. 2026
David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 10 Apr. 2026
When will Connecticut wake up and finally understand that their beloved Blumenthal – and his uncanny infatuation with lawsuits and investigations – has single-handedly sabotaged the state’s chances of ever being seriously considered again for a professional sports franchise?
—Matthew Chudoba, Hartford Courant, 7 Apr. 2026
Jordan Burks scored 22 points and hit six 3-pointers – including one that made it 72-69 with 10 seconds left – to almost single-handedly carry UCF (21-12) to a comeback win.
—Daily News, 21 Mar. 2026
Jordan Burks scored 22 points and hit six 3-pointers — including one that made it 72-69 with 10 seconds left — to almost single-handedly carry UCF (21-12) into the second round.
—CBS News, 20 Mar. 2026
Two years ago, Oakland’s Jack Gohlke went 10-for-10 from deep and nearly single-handedly led the 14th-seed Grizzlies to an upset of Kentucky.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 18 Mar. 2026
The forward, of course, cannot be expected to single-handedly solve the defensive woes of a bottom-10 defense.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 13 Mar. 2026
Ayton almost single-handedly kept the Lakers in contention in the first half, scoring 12 of his 14 points in the second quarter and had a first-half double-double with 11 rebounds.
—Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2026
In a show filled with a wide range of morally and ethically questionable characters, Wilding makes Nova into possibly the story’s purest hero, single-handedly pushing the plot forward at certain points.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 10 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for single-handedly
Adverb
-
Before ChatGPT, about one in three successfully figured it out, independently connecting pretty potent dots for scientific thinking rather than passively absorbing another fact.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Neither outlet named the woman, and The Associated Press has not been able to independently verify her account and identity.—
MIchael R. Blood,
Fortune,
13 Apr. 2026
Adverb
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Among his stops was a key glove save on MacKenzie Weegar when the former Flames defenseman broke in from the blue line all alone.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Most fascinating was a trip down memory lane that found the singer alone on stage at a desk, with a laptop — a boy and his MacBook — spontaneously looking up old videos to sing along with, in the only part of the hour-and-a-half set that brought in any catalog material.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
12 Apr. 2026
Adverb
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Stearman reminded lawmakers that Kentucky was one of the few states that allowed the service to be billed separately.—
Alex Acquisto,
CNN Money,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Compared with services purchased separately.—
Todd Spangler,
Variety,
9 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
Authorities have not said whether the victims were targeted individually or had any connection to the suspects.—
Greg Wehner,
FOXNews.com,
12 Apr. 2026
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The firm is known for its accessible, bilingual legal representation, which focuses on connecting individually with clients rather than prioritizing case volume.—
Gretchen Wittenmyer-Stone,
Miami Herald,
11 Apr. 2026
Adverb
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One, Emergency in favor of twice, existed solely as an unfathomable phrase mentioned in a letter from Duchamp to his sister.—
Howard Halle,
ARTnews.com,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Women’s health is often thought of as consisting solely of reproductive health issues.—
Alexa Mikhail,
Flow Space,
10 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Single-handedly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/single-handedly. Accessed 17 Apr. 2026.
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