as in humbly
in a manner showing no signs of pride or self-assertion
all of the extended family was expected to be submissively amenable to the matriarch's wishes
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Recent Examples of submissively
Outwardly Smart behaved submissively, following her captors’ instructions while always looking for a way to escape.
—
Kc Baker, PEOPLE, 15 Jan. 2026
Kc Baker, PEOPLE, 15 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for submissively
Adverb
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The drive The test took place humbly in downtown Los Angeles, mostly – no race tracks or solo three-lane highway sojourns.—
Josh Max,
Forbes.com,
16 Jan. 2026
-
Theirs started humbly, and a bit unexpectedly.—
Stephanie Breijo,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Jan. 2026
Adverb
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Moreover, the notion the public will meekly accept weaker radiation standards without explanation seems foolhardy.—
Katy Huff,
Scientific American,
23 Jan. 2026
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Ball handlers would dribble close to the basket, only to meekly back away, sensing him looming.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
17 Dec. 2025
Adverb
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The crowd returned the love to the back-to-back All-Star defenseman, politely ignoring his name being misspelled on the video board.—
Kalen Lumpkins,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Feb. 2026
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Chock and Bates, sitting next to the kiss-and-cry in white arm chairs reserved for the current leaders, clapped politely.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
Adverb
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Hisatsune sent roars through the stadium par-3 16th by sinking a 7-foot birdie putt and smiled sheepishly at his chip in on 17 after hitting his tee shot left into the pond.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
6 Feb. 2026
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Shields, 62, sheepishly joked after two false starts.—
Jazz Monroe,
Pitchfork,
28 Nov. 2025
Adverb
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Princess Bride is superbly planned and deferentially orchestrated — its theme fits its telling.—
Duane Byrge,
HollywoodReporter,
25 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Submissively.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/submissively. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.
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