1
as in quietly
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
2
as in lightly
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of softly
This is of course the whole point of conservatism, to go slowly, tread softly, because everything has unintended consequences.
—
Abby McCloskey, Twin Cities, 5 Feb. 2026
The café is spacious and softly buzzing, with quiet conversations carrying over from distant tables.
—Pau Mosquera, CNN Money, 5 Feb. 2026
When some Democrats began softly applauding, Ritter turned on them.
—Mark Pazniokas, Hartford Courant, 5 Feb. 2026
The pop star completed her ethereal look with a softly tousled hairstyle and delicate drop earrings.
—Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 2 Feb. 2026
Use a rolling pin to softly pound it a few times, breaking it up and softening it along the way.
—Molly Allen, Southern Living, 1 Feb. 2026
Effortless and eternally chic, the French bob is defined by its softly undone finish and chin-grazing length.
—Jennifer Hussein, InStyle, 29 Jan. 2026
Bailey drove again to the basket and softly banked in a left-handed layup to trim the Monarchs’ lead to 73-72.
—Steve Fryer, Oc Register, 29 Jan. 2026
Land softly with your knees bent and go right into your next jump squat.
—Rikkilynn Shields Hannigan, Health, 29 Jan. 2026
Abby McCloskey, Twin Cities, 5 Feb. 2026
The café is spacious and softly buzzing, with quiet conversations carrying over from distant tables.
—Pau Mosquera, CNN Money, 5 Feb. 2026
When some Democrats began softly applauding, Ritter turned on them.
—Mark Pazniokas, Hartford Courant, 5 Feb. 2026
The pop star completed her ethereal look with a softly tousled hairstyle and delicate drop earrings.
—Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 2 Feb. 2026
Use a rolling pin to softly pound it a few times, breaking it up and softening it along the way.
—Molly Allen, Southern Living, 1 Feb. 2026
Effortless and eternally chic, the French bob is defined by its softly undone finish and chin-grazing length.
—Jennifer Hussein, InStyle, 29 Jan. 2026
Bailey drove again to the basket and softly banked in a left-handed layup to trim the Monarchs’ lead to 73-72.
—Steve Fryer, Oc Register, 29 Jan. 2026
Land softly with your knees bent and go right into your next jump squat.
—Rikkilynn Shields Hannigan, Health, 29 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for softly
Adverb
-
Beatrice and Eugenie appear to have quietly tried to disentangle themselves from their parents’ mess.—
Lauren Said-Moorhouse,
CNN Money,
16 Feb. 2026
-
And the platform, which mixes highbrow political news sites with pop culture sources like People, has quietly emerged as a major force in the US information space.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
16 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
The As Ever founder styled herself simply with a gold circular choker and matching bracelet, with a pale pink manicure and her dark brunette hair lightly waved.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
16 Feb. 2026
-
The interview has been edited lightly for brevity.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
15 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
Korinek is youthful and slender, with delicate wire-frame glasses and a faintly red beard.—
Josh Tyrangiel,
The Atlantic,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Its faintly sweet starchiness is perfect for stirring into pastas and soups.—
Josh Miller,
Southern Living,
7 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
Backfill the soil around the root balls and press down gently on the soil to firm it.—
David Beaulieu,
The Spruce,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Afterward, gently scrub with a soft toothbrush to remove grooves.—
Louise Parks,
Martha Stewart,
11 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
Heathcliff’s racial ambiguity — so central to the novel’s violence and otherness — is feebly erased.—
Ana Gutierrez,
Austin American Statesman,
11 Feb. 2026
-
One man aboard the boat knew how to navigate the mangroves and sandbars of the keys, and with the late summer sun beating down on the rafters, the boat pushed out feebly into the open ocean.—
Miriam Pensack,
The Dial,
30 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
In one picture, a slim teen-ager reaches over tentatively, tenderly, to peel a bandage off another boy’s bare thigh, a moment both touching and wonderfully matter-of-fact.—
Vince Aletti,
New Yorker,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Everything in this recipe is made with love, from the tomato sauce to the filling which is tenderly wrapped in the softened cabbage leaves.—
Mary Alice Russell,
Southern Living,
10 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
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 18 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
