as in carefully
without any relaxation of standards or precision
strictly speaking, Columbus did not discover America—the people living there had long known about it the rules must be strictly obeyed
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Recent Examples of strictly
The Sun, a notoriously bright object, would’ve burnt out the optical systems for Hubble and Spitzer if they were ever pointed in the Sun’s directions, so such observations were strictly forbidden.
—
Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 4 Sep. 2025
The possession, sale, or import of THC-containing substances is strictly prohibited in Japan.
—CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2025
As a result, both the marketing and use of cosmetic products containing TPO — including in professional settings like nail salons — are strictly prohibited.
—Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 2 Sep. 2025
The company revealed its plans—which have been greeted with dismay by some of its other customers—with a soft launch back in June, but the scheme has now been rolled out across the country and will be fully operational and strictly enforced after Monday, according to reports.
—Chloe Mayer, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Sep. 2025
In bird and wildlife art more broadly, there will always be a place for the strictly representational, for realism, but any medium or genre refusing to evolve dies.
—Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025
Scooters, rollerblading and skateboards are strictly prohibited.
—Jennie Key, The Enquirer, 31 Aug. 2025
Henry Mackeen-Shapiro, a protester who graduated in May, said the school makes up its own rules and ignores its own deadlines while strictly enforcing them on students.
—John Wisely, Freep.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Ellis claims that Cardi scratched her with her nail and spit on her; the rapper maintains that the altercation was strictly verbal and never became physical.
—James Factora, Them., 28 Aug. 2025
Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 4 Sep. 2025
The possession, sale, or import of THC-containing substances is strictly prohibited in Japan.
—CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2025
As a result, both the marketing and use of cosmetic products containing TPO — including in professional settings like nail salons — are strictly prohibited.
—Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 2 Sep. 2025
The company revealed its plans—which have been greeted with dismay by some of its other customers—with a soft launch back in June, but the scheme has now been rolled out across the country and will be fully operational and strictly enforced after Monday, according to reports.
—Chloe Mayer, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Sep. 2025
In bird and wildlife art more broadly, there will always be a place for the strictly representational, for realism, but any medium or genre refusing to evolve dies.
—Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025
Scooters, rollerblading and skateboards are strictly prohibited.
—Jennie Key, The Enquirer, 31 Aug. 2025
Henry Mackeen-Shapiro, a protester who graduated in May, said the school makes up its own rules and ignores its own deadlines while strictly enforcing them on students.
—John Wisely, Freep.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Ellis claims that Cardi scratched her with her nail and spit on her; the rapper maintains that the altercation was strictly verbal and never became physical.
—James Factora, Them., 28 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for strictly
Adverb
-
Flip patties and cook 1 minute; carefully place 2 tablespoons of the cheese on each patty, cover with a transparent lid and cook until cheese is melted and patties are cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes more.—
Kimberly Holland,
Southern Living,
7 Sep. 2025
-
Crews are carefully scouring the landscape for any spot fires from that may occur.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
7 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
The Personalization System – Continuously adapting your approach based on what's working and what isn't, rather than rigidly following someone else's blueprint.—
Malana VanTyler,
USA Today,
27 Aug. 2025
-
One of de l’Horizon’s core motivations in writing this book was to find a form of genuine self-expression in a language that is rigidly gendered.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
25 Aug. 2025
Adverb
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Instead, their only aim is to protect themselves, which is precisely how the second horseman arrives.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
-
Controlling cavitation precisely inside the human body (without damaging nearby tissue) will be very difficult.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Sep. 2025
Adverb
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Professionally, rigorously test systems for unintended biases, privacy vulnerabilities, and broader societal effects before deployment.—
Cornelia C. Walther,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
-
That demanded an extraordinary amount of planning and organization, with all gas burners laid out, all traffic pieces, choreography, and stunts rigorously rehearsed, and kids carefully prepared for the process.—
Tomris Laffly,
Time,
6 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Strictly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/strictly. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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