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
For instance, Orthodox Judaism, a branch of the religion that more strictly adheres to Jewish law, doesn’t typically allow female clergy.
—
Claire Murphy, Chicago Tribune, 17 Mar. 2026
Trading volume and frequency must remain strictly controlled.
—Nishant Pant, CNBC, 17 Mar. 2026
The deliberate use of lethal force is permissible only when strictly unavoidable to protect life, the organization said, and any use of force must be necessary and proportionate.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 17 Mar. 2026
Kerr hoped that the film — which focuses strictly on the victims and their families, rather than the event or shooter — can help create change in the country.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 16 Mar. 2026
Such a change in military doctrine is not just symbolic, but is also a big deal since Japan’s strictly defensive military thinking since its defeat in World War II.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 15 Mar. 2026
For families This is a strictly adults-only hotel, catering to guests 18 and up.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 Mar. 2026
First of all, as a Maldivian island, Maafushi is Muslim — and alcohol is strictly prohibited.
—Blane Bachelor, CNN Money, 14 Mar. 2026
And even Aaron Boone, who’s been effusive in his praise of Lagrange, has talked about him strictly as a starter.
—Bill Madden, New York Daily News, 14 Mar. 2026
Claire Murphy, Chicago Tribune, 17 Mar. 2026
Trading volume and frequency must remain strictly controlled.
—Nishant Pant, CNBC, 17 Mar. 2026
The deliberate use of lethal force is permissible only when strictly unavoidable to protect life, the organization said, and any use of force must be necessary and proportionate.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 17 Mar. 2026
Kerr hoped that the film — which focuses strictly on the victims and their families, rather than the event or shooter — can help create change in the country.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 16 Mar. 2026
Such a change in military doctrine is not just symbolic, but is also a big deal since Japan’s strictly defensive military thinking since its defeat in World War II.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 15 Mar. 2026
For families This is a strictly adults-only hotel, catering to guests 18 and up.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 Mar. 2026
First of all, as a Maldivian island, Maafushi is Muslim — and alcohol is strictly prohibited.
—Blane Bachelor, CNN Money, 14 Mar. 2026
And even Aaron Boone, who’s been effusive in his praise of Lagrange, has talked about him strictly as a starter.
—Bill Madden, New York Daily News, 14 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for strictly
Adverb
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Officials said crews had to get to the ledge and carefully lower the victims down on backboards to the rescue boats waiting below.—
S.E. Jenkins,
CBS News,
22 Mar. 2026
-
Aestura focuses on sensitive skin-friendly formulas with gentle, carefully balanced ingredients designed to keep skin healthy over time.—
Christa Joanna Lee,
Allure,
21 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
Handling has been sharpened by rigidly mounting the rear subframe and reworking the Bilstein dampers.—
Basem Wasef,
Robb Report,
25 Feb. 2026
-
American parents, who can sometimes, though certainly not always, adhere rigidly to strict sleep-training schedules may miss out on this more flexible style of family life.—
Katrina Donham,
Parents,
25 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
Researchers have demonstrated a new way to precisely place quantum light sources on chips using DNA origami, offering a potential path toward scalable quantum devices.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Mar. 2026
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But the major platform of the Oscars also brings another level of exposition, which is not always beneficial for a documentary director trying to move stealthily and precisely.—
Rafa Sales Ross,
Variety,
20 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
Recommended by our tech expert colleagues over at TechRadar, who have rigorously tested and independently verified all the top VPN services around.—
Paul Brett,
Space.com,
17 Mar. 2026
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This is because the patches are marketed as supplements, meaning they are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration or tested rigorously.—
Helena Kudiabor,
SELF,
13 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Strictly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/strictly. Accessed 24 Mar. 2026.
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