1
as in quietly
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2
as in lightly
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of softly
Even with its unnecessary detours, Singing reaches this wild reverie in the end—a voice reclaimed to report, softly, from the fathomless depths of the human experience.
—
Linnie Greene, Pitchfork, 29 Apr. 2026
Sylvia, my copilot, snores softly.
—Literary Hub, 29 Apr. 2026
Start with tall bluebonnet stems on the left, fill the middle with medium-height ornamental onions, and finish the arrangement with softly drooping sweet peas on the right.
—Maria Sabella, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Apr. 2026
Wilson was softly spoken under cross-examination by Sue Chrysanthou, MacInnes’ barrister, during the hearing on Tuesday.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 28 Apr. 2026
Depending on the evening, dinner is served outside under the open sky or inside a softly glowing hoop house.
—Susmita Baral, Travel + Leisure, 26 Apr. 2026
Days begin at Le Plage, the freshwater pool fringed with parasols and a softly trickling waterfall, where breakfasts of eggs, local bread, warm pastries, and fresh juice appear on the long communal table.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
Cool jazz plays softly in the background, and each room has its own distinct feel.
—Tristan Graziano, Charlotte Observer, 22 Apr. 2026
Hairstylist Andy Lecompte gave Hayek a sculptural updo with the front softly yet dramatically side-swept, allowing her gray streaks to be center-stage.
—Marci Robin, Allure, 20 Apr. 2026
Linnie Greene, Pitchfork, 29 Apr. 2026
Sylvia, my copilot, snores softly.
—Literary Hub, 29 Apr. 2026
Start with tall bluebonnet stems on the left, fill the middle with medium-height ornamental onions, and finish the arrangement with softly drooping sweet peas on the right.
—Maria Sabella, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Apr. 2026
Wilson was softly spoken under cross-examination by Sue Chrysanthou, MacInnes’ barrister, during the hearing on Tuesday.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 28 Apr. 2026
Depending on the evening, dinner is served outside under the open sky or inside a softly glowing hoop house.
—Susmita Baral, Travel + Leisure, 26 Apr. 2026
Days begin at Le Plage, the freshwater pool fringed with parasols and a softly trickling waterfall, where breakfasts of eggs, local bread, warm pastries, and fresh juice appear on the long communal table.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
Cool jazz plays softly in the background, and each room has its own distinct feel.
—Tristan Graziano, Charlotte Observer, 22 Apr. 2026
Hairstylist Andy Lecompte gave Hayek a sculptural updo with the front softly yet dramatically side-swept, allowing her gray streaks to be center-stage.
—Marci Robin, Allure, 20 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for softly
Adverb
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In these quietly stunning essays, a Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist, the daughter of an Army veteran and a schoolteacher, looks back on her upbringing in Buckhannon, West Virginia.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
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Wealth, meanwhile, has quietly redefined itself upward.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
3 May 2026
Adverb
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Plant sage in a pot and water it lightly but consistently.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
3 May 2026
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When the plants decline, place their containers with the bulbs in a shady spot and keep lightly moist until new growth is noted.—
Tom MacCubbin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 May 2026
Adverb
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Instead, thanks to the sugar, eggs, and butter in the mix, vinegar pie is sweet, silky, subtly fruity, and faintly tangy; on the tartness level akin to cheesecake.—
Karla Walsh,
Southern Living,
29 Apr. 2026
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Gasly seems faintly bewildered by the designation.—
Maxwell Adler,
Vanity Fair,
27 Apr. 2026
Adverb
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Once repair is complete, growth hormone activates a brainstem region called the locus coeruleus, which gently nudges you toward waking.—
Allison Palmer,
Miami Herald,
29 Apr. 2026
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Take the time to scan from top to bottom, and don’t be afraid to gently move items aside.—
Elizabeth Fogarty,
Better Homes & Gardens,
29 Apr. 2026
Adverb
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Infantino, as Henry Bushnell writes, talked rather feebly about working together and, randomly, said an upcoming under-15 tournament for all member associations was something to encourage co-operation.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
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Heathcliff’s racial ambiguity — so central to the novel’s violence and otherness — is feebly erased.—
Ana Gutierrez,
Austin American Statesman,
11 Feb. 2026
Adverb
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Theo-tene-matsu pine trees planted centuries ago still remain, many of which have been cared for tenderly by the same family of gardeners for generations.—
Lale Arikoglu,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 May 2026
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The new series Margo’s Got Money Troubles (streaming on Apple TV) tenderly illustrates the relentless, creative work of making a living online, Sophie Gilbert writes.—
David A. Graham,
The Atlantic,
23 Apr. 2026
Adverb
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Small branches can be clipped quickly and almost noiselessly and fashioned into an effective blind in only a few minutes.—
Bruce Brady,
Outdoor Life,
8 Apr. 2026
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On a brilliant midsummer morning, my wife and I stepped into a black Zodiac raft and drifted noiselessly among icebergs five stories high, their emerald and aquamarine walls gleaming above sapphire waters.—
Pico Iyer,
Condé Nast Traveler,
17 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Softly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/softly. Accessed 7 May. 2026.
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