sportively

adverb

as in playfully

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sportively
  1. playfully
  2. animatedly
  3. buoyantly
  4. airily
  5. skittishly
  6. lively
  7. briskly
  8. energetically
Adverb
  • As the characters playfully debated the rise of Fascism, the dialogue often felt transcribed from some Brooklyn polycule.
    — Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Fitzpatrick playfully responded to Talib in a video Sunday but did not fully address his criticism of Nix until appearing on his podcast.
    — Ryan Canfield OutKick, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of playfully
Adverb
  • Bindi, now a mother herself, posted a touching video of Steve animatedly describing her birth.
    — Rachel McRady, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2026
  • By the end of our call, Michael Sheen is animatedly sharing stories of his family’s (potential) UFO sightings in south Wales.
    — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of animatedly
Adverb
  • The song's interplay between choir and orchestra is buoyantly euphoric, opening a door to bolder, more intentionally progressive and soulful sounds in the country's mainstream.
    — Marcus K. Dowling, The Tennessean, 2 May 2025
Definition of buoyantly
Adverb
  • Still, while these surfaces are clearly meant to reflect deeper emotional and cultural truths, Coppola’s mining of them is done glancingly, airily.
    — Naomi Fry, New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2026
Definition of airily
Adverb
  • The horse, not sensing any guidance on its ribcage, begins to move skittishly in tight, concentric circles.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Feb. 2026
  • While skittishly edited, the film nevertheless builds up Faithfull’s biography in basic chronological order.
    — Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 31 Aug. 2025
Definition of skittishly
Adverb
  • Fresh dill both in the filling and on top adds herbaceous notes that keep every bite lively.
    — Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 17 Sep. 2026
  • The Windjammer The Windjammer is part restaurant, part legendary live-music venue, with a buzzy beachfront setting that keeps things lively well beyond dinner.
    — Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of lively
Adverb
  • At the offices, Karp steered me briskly past open-plan tables and upholstered nooks, past signage announcing corporate fun.
    — Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Bomgren suggested options such as cycling, rowing, or walking briskly uphill.
    — Danielle Zickl, HEALTH, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of briskly
Adverb
  • Italians are fed energetically with the sustenance of beauty, ease, and joy.
    — Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Molecules pooling close to regions that repel water can be forced into distinctive arrangements that are energetically costly to maintain, resembling pieces of a jigsaw puzzle pushed into patterns poised on the verge of scattering.
    — Mike McRae October 13, New Atlas, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of energetically
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Sportively.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sportively. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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