as in nicely
in a pleasing way
a sweetly silly summer movie
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Recent Examples of sweetly
Redmayne brings a sweetly doltish everyman energy to this increasingly off-kilter affair, with much of the dialogue between him and his co-stars (including Stratton-Twine as the missing woman’s slacker brother) improvised in disarmingly shaggy fashion.
—
Guy Lodge, Variety, 20 Mar. 2026
Stellan Skarsgård approaches and holds her hand sweetly.
—Rachel Handler, Vulture, 16 Mar. 2026
This native honeysuckle is a much better choice than the sweetly scented but invasive Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica).
—Anne Readel, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Feb. 2026
Plants produce sweetly fragrant flowers from the growing shoot tips continuously from spring through frost, providing a constant supply of nectar for native bees and butterflies.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 17 Feb. 2026
Many love songs idealize; here, John Prine and Iris DeMent sweetly rattle off a list of each other’s endearing imperfections.
—Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 13 Feb. 2026
The poignant image is juxtaposed with flashbacks of them as children lying sweetly next to one another.
—Natasha O'Neill, Vanity Fair, 13 Feb. 2026
And so the players showed up brandishing hope for this summer while sweetly admitting the emotion that still lingers from last fall.
—Los Angeles Times, 31 Jan. 2026
Raimi has always been drawn to that kind of protagonist, from Liam Neeson’s scientist turned superhero in Darkman to Tobey Maguire’s sweetly humble take on Peter Parker in Spider-Man.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 31 Jan. 2026
Guy Lodge, Variety, 20 Mar. 2026
Stellan Skarsgård approaches and holds her hand sweetly.
—Rachel Handler, Vulture, 16 Mar. 2026
This native honeysuckle is a much better choice than the sweetly scented but invasive Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica).
—Anne Readel, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Feb. 2026
Plants produce sweetly fragrant flowers from the growing shoot tips continuously from spring through frost, providing a constant supply of nectar for native bees and butterflies.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 17 Feb. 2026
Many love songs idealize; here, John Prine and Iris DeMent sweetly rattle off a list of each other’s endearing imperfections.
—Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 13 Feb. 2026
The poignant image is juxtaposed with flashbacks of them as children lying sweetly next to one another.
—Natasha O'Neill, Vanity Fair, 13 Feb. 2026
And so the players showed up brandishing hope for this summer while sweetly admitting the emotion that still lingers from last fall.
—Los Angeles Times, 31 Jan. 2026
Raimi has always been drawn to that kind of protagonist, from Liam Neeson’s scientist turned superhero in Darkman to Tobey Maguire’s sweetly humble take on Peter Parker in Spider-Man.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 31 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sweetly
Adverb
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This trailer, however, has a homey design with fittings that would work nicely inside a luxury camper van or tiny home.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
23 Mar. 2026
-
That outlook also sets them up nicely to potentially move up and down the board with trades.—
Mike Kaye
March 23,
Charlotte Observer,
23 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
Rich, smooth and deliciously sweet, this curd is nothing short of addictive.—
Jolene Thym,
Mercury News,
20 Mar. 2026
-
Reinhart’s Apple is a deliciously deadly mystery wrapped in sequins and pure unadulterated attitude, as Tung’s Pumpkin subtly manipulates the group to get to the bottom of a past incident that weighs on her personally, despite her new friends being oblivious to her true identity.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
17 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
Evenly spread out in a thin layer on a half sheet pan, each piece of rigatoni is cloaked in sauce and melting cheese, yet comes out of the oven perfectly al dente, with delightfully crisp edges.—
Rebecca Firkser,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
22 Mar. 2026
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Massachusetts resident Stephen Chukumba, who featured in the original short and has stepped up to producing for this feature, faces less drastic life choices, especially since his transgender son Hobbes, a delightfully phlegmatic, unflappable kid, is now old enough to go off to university.—
Leslie Felperin,
HollywoodReporter,
20 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
One possibility that can’t be ruled out is the Red Sox could trade Yoshida, who has played great since last September but who has become an awkward roster fit.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
22 Mar. 2026
-
The Goldilocks-spec GTS epitomizes what makes the crossover great better than any other member of the line.—
Will Sabel Courtney,
Robb Report,
19 Mar. 2026
Adverb
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Austin-Gatson emphasized that Georgia's current system — primaries followed by general elections — allows voters to better evaluate candidates and ensures fairness in the process.—
CBS Atlanta Digital Team,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Sacramento got to the line plenty as well before the break, shooting 8 for 11.—
Jason Beede,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 Mar. 2026
Adverb
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Cate Blanchett, ‘Blue Jasmine’ (2014) Blanchett delivers an enjoyably tragicomic turn in Woody Allen's dramedy as a booze-swilling, Xanax-popping hot mess.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
10 Mar. 2026
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But thanks to engaging and winning performances, lots of captivating things get enjoyably said.—
Christopher Smith,
Oc Register,
10 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
Parmesan, finely grated (about 1 cup).—
Jesse Szewczyk,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
23 Mar. 2026
-
Cover and process until very finely chopped.—
Jessica Saari Christensen,
Better Homes & Gardens,
16 Mar. 2026
Adverb
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The animation features a lot of rotoscoping, and the result is an aesthetic that’s both oddly fluid and charmingly cheap, like some second-rate Ralph Bakshi effort.—
Eric Vilas-Boas,
Vulture,
18 Mar. 2026
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During the first act, McCarthy plants several characters in and around the charmingly outdated hotel where Ohm is staying for the viewer to suspect of wrongdoing later on.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Variety,
15 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sweetly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sweetly. Accessed 28 Mar. 2026.
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