1
as in sadly
with feelings of bitterness or grief
our company president, who is retiring at the end of the year, will be sorely missed
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2
as in terribly
to a great degree
completed some sorely needed repairs to the boat
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sorely
He will be sorely missed but never forgotten.
—
Kirk Bohls, Houston Chronicle, 4 Feb. 2026
For some residents, the help digging out is sorely needed.
—Joe Brandt, CBS News, 4 Feb. 2026
George Bailey is sorely missed.
—Chicago Tribune, 31 Jan. 2026
But many taxpayers, and those hopeful politicians, may be sorely disappointed.
—Howard Gleckman, Forbes.com, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sorely
Kirk Bohls, Houston Chronicle, 4 Feb. 2026
For some residents, the help digging out is sorely needed.
—Joe Brandt, CBS News, 4 Feb. 2026
George Bailey is sorely missed.
—Chicago Tribune, 31 Jan. 2026
But many taxpayers, and those hopeful politicians, may be sorely disappointed.
—Howard Gleckman, Forbes.com, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sorely
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sorely
Adverb
-
The Super Bowl, sadly, was a snoozer.—
Brendan Marks,
New York Times,
12 Feb. 2026
-
One man sadly watched the commemoration from a sidewalk in Tehran, not taking part.—
Jon Gambrell,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
But as soon as their baby is born, despite the reassurance of all around her, Saga knows there’s something terribly wrong with her son.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
14 Feb. 2026
-
The plot weaves together elements of romance, family drama and feminist struggle against the backdrop of a space walk gone terribly awry.—
Brianne Kane,
Scientific American,
13 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
The ultra-chic crewneck sweater has a slightly oversized fit that’s perfect for cozying up on a long-haul flight and or layering with a turtleneck on bitterly cold winter days.—
Melony Forcier,
Travel + Leisure,
17 Feb. 2026
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Not bitterly, not hysterically—openly, with the sound of someone arriving at a recognition both painful and clarifying.—
JP Mangalindan,
Time,
17 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
Criminal defenses that meet the legal threshold to argue an alternative perpetrator was responsible are extremely uncommon in the state, legal experts told the Statesman.—
Kevin Fixler,
Idaho Statesman,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Fajardo-Acosta described him as an extremely serious person who also possessed a good sense of humor, spoke very eloquently and read all the time.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
Tarun would tease her, and my mother would look sorrowfully toward Kavitha, as if the two of them now shared some womanly burden.—
Madhuri Vijay,
New Yorker,
16 Nov. 2025
Adverb
-
Herb said the industry plans for an average winter, not a mild or a severely cold one.—
Kenneth R. Gosselin,
Hartford Courant,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Otherwise, utility crews will be forced to prune it severely for safety’s sake.—
Beth Botts,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
But Wemby got his painfully cool peers to play along, to pick up the tempo – and their defense, often at half court.—
Mirjam Swanson,
Oc Register,
16 Feb. 2026
-
My path has crossed languages and cultures, continents and genres, sometimes gracefully, sometimes a little painfully, but always guided by curiosity and deep faith in cinema.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
The family searched desperately for their bodies and eventually found them at the Kahrizak Forensic Medical Center south of Tehran.—
Babak Dehghanpisheh,
NBC news,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Hey, to the desperately thirsty, even a sip from a mud puddle tastes good.—
Greg Cote
February 11,
Miami Herald,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sorely.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sorely. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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