1
as in quietly
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2
as in lightly
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Recent Examples of softly
The golden past always has the sheen of nostalgia, captured in the wide aspect ratio and softly grainy footage of a Hollywood classic.
—
Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 4 Sep. 2025
As the home of muscle cars, Detroit knows something about speaking softly and carrying a big engine.
—Julie Hinds, Freep.com, 3 Sep. 2025
After successful deceleration and landing burns, B1083 softly touched down on SpaceX's A Shortfall of Gravitas droneship in the Atlantic Ocean about six minutes later.
—Josh Dinner, Space.com, 3 Sep. 2025
The sleek, stylish, and softly cushioned Sonos Ace headphones are now discounted by $100, and that's music to our ears.
—PC Magazine, 30 Aug. 2025
Instead, softly grasp the fruit with your palm, with your thumb near the stem.
—Miranda Crowell, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Aug. 2025
The Princess of Wales softly smiled as Prince William, 43, drove their family to church near Balmoral Castle.
—Janine Henni, People.com, 25 Aug. 2025
In the snap, both women wear coats while standing on a path lined with buildings, smiling softly at the camera.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 22 Aug. 2025
This blurring lip pencil from Unleashia is easily the best for softly sculpting and shaping your pout before applying your gloss or your lip tint.
—Denise Primbet, Glamour, 19 Aug. 2025
Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 4 Sep. 2025
As the home of muscle cars, Detroit knows something about speaking softly and carrying a big engine.
—Julie Hinds, Freep.com, 3 Sep. 2025
After successful deceleration and landing burns, B1083 softly touched down on SpaceX's A Shortfall of Gravitas droneship in the Atlantic Ocean about six minutes later.
—Josh Dinner, Space.com, 3 Sep. 2025
The sleek, stylish, and softly cushioned Sonos Ace headphones are now discounted by $100, and that's music to our ears.
—PC Magazine, 30 Aug. 2025
Instead, softly grasp the fruit with your palm, with your thumb near the stem.
—Miranda Crowell, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Aug. 2025
The Princess of Wales softly smiled as Prince William, 43, drove their family to church near Balmoral Castle.
—Janine Henni, People.com, 25 Aug. 2025
In the snap, both women wear coats while standing on a path lined with buildings, smiling softly at the camera.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 22 Aug. 2025
This blurring lip pencil from Unleashia is easily the best for softly sculpting and shaping your pout before applying your gloss or your lip tint.
—Denise Primbet, Glamour, 19 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for softly
Adverb
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Still, the Cornhusker State quietly offers stunning wildflower experiences throughout the seasons—and fall is one of the best times to see its prairies' most stunning displays.—
Iona Brannon,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Sep. 2025
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In recent months, the US Marine Corps quietly leased a 57,000-square-foot warehouse at the former Subic Bay Naval Supply Depot.—
Kapil Kajal,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Sep. 2025
Adverb
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Twist the powertrain mode knob to Track, watch the digital dash retract itself to give you a cleaner view, then activate Launch mode via a console button, and prepare to have your sense of speed lightly warped.—
Sean Evans,
Robb Report,
9 Sep. 2025
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His daughter did not get off so lightly.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
9 Sep. 2025
Adverb
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The gallery smells faintly of cinnamon and polished wood.—
Caroline Rogers,
Southern Living,
31 Aug. 2025
-
Mars, now getting dimmer, will glow faintly just above and to the left of the lunar crescent.—
Jamie Carter,
Forbes.com,
24 Aug. 2025
Adverb
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Make sure the tires reconnect with the road - During the skid, wait until the tires reconnect with the road and then gently straighten the wheels to regain control.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
5 Sep. 2025
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Make sure the tires reconnect with the road - During the skid, wait until the tires reconnect with the road and then gently straighten the wheels to regain control.—
KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT,
Kansas City Star,
4 Sep. 2025
Adverb
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The woman has since adopted the kitten—who turned out to be a boy—and shared sweet updates, including videos of him being tenderly bottle-fed.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Aug. 2025
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On the director’s cue, Mary Berry was tenderly extricated from her thermal gilet and the floor was purged of its few dozen researchers, home economists, sound recordists, camera operators, technicians, producers, and researchers.—
Ruby Tandoh,
New Yorker,
25 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Softly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/softly. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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