superficially

adverb

1
as in minimally

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Dissimilar Words
2
as in imperfectly

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Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of superficially Anna Anosowicz’s highly resourceful production design makes excellent use of existing midcentury brutalist architecture and far more ancient, enduring structures, all moldering under superficially futuristic window-dressing. — Guy Lodge, Variety, 20 Aug. 2026 This would allow the company to superficially inflate its plan costs and skirt medical loss ratio rules to increase its profits. — Grace MacKleby, The Conversation, 18 Aug. 2026 Tony Dalton brings impressive menace to a superficially affable sheriff, and Laura Donnelly strikes the perfect balance between femme fatale and innocent love interest. — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 7 Aug. 2026 His brother and grandparents were injured, but only superficially. — Rina Nakano, CBS News, 7 Aug. 2026 Unlike traditional microneedling, which uses metal needles inserted and withdrawn, spicules embed superficially and shed with normal skin turnover over a few days. — Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 27 July 2026 Many of the devices employed during segregation, such as poll taxes, grandfather clauses, and literacy tests, were superficially race-neutral. — Adam Serwer, The Atlantic, 27 June 2026 Never water superficially but always give the root ball a good soaking. — Derek Carwood, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 June 2026 This requires that practitioners in this area have a deep understanding of the facts of a particular case and not approach the UPEPA superficially. — Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 21 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for superficially
  1. minimally
  2. imperfectly
  3. slightly
  4. narrowly
  5. marginally
  6. inadequately
  7. barely
  8. shallowly
Adverb
  • The underlying problem was an intestinal condition that doctors can fix with a routine, minimally invasive surgery, experts who reviewed Malone’s death records said.
    — Audrey Dutton, ProPublica, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Treatments range from minimally invasive procedures like Botox and laser therapy, to surgical interventions like chest masculinization and liposuction.
    — Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of minimally
Adverb
  • The department exists to preserve some semblance of equal justice in the United States — imperfectly, haltingly, often overbearingly for some and cautiously for others — and help ensure that the nation is governed by the rule of law.
    — New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Rather than suffering because leaders acted imperfectly, organizations often suffer because leaders waited too long to act at all.
    — Irma Becerra, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of imperfectly
Adverb
  • The boy was spotted sitting on his own at a hut about 8,200 feet (2,500 meters) above sea level – slightly more than halfway up the country’s tallest mountain – by a worker on Thursday, according to CNN’s affiliate TV Asahi.
    — Chris Lau, CNN Money, 23 Aug. 2026
  • The kitchen itself, though, feels fairly unused—one tap wasn’t working, the cutlery was slightly rusty, and the whole setup had a ramshackle quality.
    — Megan Rose Murray, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of slightly
Adverb
  • But critics have argued that the ads seem narrowly designed to encourage more people to use their glasses for continuous recording.
    — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Ossoff ran in a special election for Georgia's sixth congressional district in 2017, narrowly losing the race to Republican Karen Handel.
    — Irene Wright, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of narrowly
Adverb
  • Liverpool, the Premier League’s most profitable club, have only marginally broken across the FSG era (below).
    — Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026
  • What is significant about these marginally publishable literary acts, these ten pages in the body (of the email), is not how they are read but their conspicuous unreadness.
    — M. C. Mah, Literary Hub, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of marginally
Adverb
  • Last year Lee was questioned by legislators after the audit found staffing shortages and process failures had left thousands of cases inadequately investigated, including serious injuries and deaths.
    — Joe Rubin, Sacbee.com, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Around the world, most caregivers are either uncompensated or inadequately compensated, and many rely on public assistance where available to make ends meet.
    — Belonging Forum, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of inadequately
Adverb
  • Some come so quickly that there’s barely time to process how they were accomplished.
    — Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Azurá Stevens, the franchise’s marquee signing worth just over $1 million a year, barely cracked a 10-point average while missing nearly a quarter of the season due to injuries and personal concerns.
    — Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of barely
Adverb
  • Young and shallowly rooted plants are the most impacted by heat and drought, leaving them vulnerable to diseases and pests.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 16 June 2026
  • Avoid watering frequently and shallowly as this will worsen the condition.
    — Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 3 May 2026
Definition of shallowly

Browse Nearby Words

superficiality
superficially
superficies
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Cite this Entry

“Superficially.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/superficially. Accessed 27 Aug. 2026.

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