tentatively

adverb

Definition of tentativelynext
as in hesitantly

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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 tentatively Getting your experience and results on the table early, and resisting the impulse to frame things tentatively, is a reasonable response to that dynamic. — Andy Molinsky, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026 As 2022 passes, though, the possibility of private life tentatively reappears. — Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2026 Cecconi is tentatively scheduled to start Wednesday, after the team pushed him back a few days. — Zack Meisel, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026 Kuechly, however, is tentatively scheduled to be a halftime guest on the team’s radio network Thursday night. — Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 3 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for tentatively
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tentatively
  1. hesitantly
  2. haltingly
Adverb
  • In Broad Strokes, Cohen advances her character further toward a new frontier, though gently and hesitantly.
    — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 28 July 2026
  • The many attending assistants around her eventually disperse — a little hesitantly because Sam is in the middle of preparing a new show — and the two withdraw to Sam’s cavernous studio.
    — Jake Coyle, Boston Herald, 24 Apr. 2026
Definition of hesitantly
Adverb
  • In Vietnamese director Lê Bảo’s new film, an extended family confronts various rifts and estrangements in its ranks; years of silence must give way, slowly and haltingly, to communication.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Law-enforcement officials in Minnesota are—albeit haltingly—beginning to move forward with investigations and prosecutions on their own.
    — Quinta Jurecic, The Atlantic, 6 July 2026
Definition of haltingly

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Cite this Entry

“Tentatively.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tentatively. Accessed 16 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on tentatively

Nglish: Translation of tentatively for Spanish Speakers

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