1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

variably

adverb

Definition of variablynext
1
as in differently

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words
2
as in sometimes

Related Words

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 variably The suspense grows more effective past the one-hour mark, once Dama takes control of the narrative, with Irina, Rosa and Giulia variably helped and hindered by her steely mechanizations. — Dennis Harvey, Variety, 30 July 2026 House, a Kiwi familiar from various Taika Waititi projects including the recent TV adaptation of Time Bandits, is a constance source of unexpected danger, while Hughes, George Mason and Matuse all get good moments as her variably bumbling henchmen. — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 10 Mar. 2026 And, just maybe, that can go at least a few inches toward explaining the enduring popularity of mah-jongg—also variably spelled mah jong, mahjong, mah jongg, and more, with our spelling taken from Merriam-Webster—one that spans continents and centuries. — Kase Wickman, Vanity Fair, 10 Mar. 2026 Power can split front/rear variably, between 70%/30% and 15%/85%. — Andrew P. Collins, The Drive, 19 Feb. 2026 In secret, the Party is trying to find Vecna and kill him, a mission to which members are variably applying themselves. — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 27 Nov. 2025 The data might be in different languages and is often guided by informal or variably defined concepts. — IEEE Spectrum, 21 Feb. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for variably
  1. differently
  2. sometimes
  3. somewhat
  4. inconsistently
  5. infrequently
  6. seldom
  7. rarely
Adverb
  • These platforms each operate differently and can draw from numerous sources.
    — Evan Nierman, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Part of the investigation’s task was to examine the response of the UK’s National Health Service (NHS), including whether senior staff should have responded differently when suspicions about Letby’s behavior were eventually raised.
    — Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of differently
Adverb
  • Being dependable sometimes means choosing one thing and doing it well.
    — Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 20 Sep. 2026
  • Unlike Christian priests and medicine men, who generally command respect, rainmakers are sometimes seen as malicious people who retaliate against whole communities for quarrels with their neighbors.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of sometimes
Adverb
  • The proverbial slate, for the first time since 2019, is somewhat clean.
    — Henry Bushnell, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Another, somewhat bizarre experiment has raised the prospect of a different antiaging strategy.
    — Venki Ramakrishnan, Scientific American, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of somewhat
Adverb
  • The system integrates academic, behavioral and social-emotional instruction and intervention, though the report found it was implemented inconsistently.
    — Camryn Dadey, Sacbee.com, 16 Sep. 2026
  • And with Bryce Elder going on the IL after left knee surgery, Martín Perez getting lit up against the Phillies on Saturday and AJ Smith-Shawver pitching inconsistently since his recall, López’s shaky outing adds to the uncertainty.
    — Jesús Cano, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of inconsistently
Adverb
  • Worst flash floods in Arizona history Flash flooding is a threat in the Southwest but only infrequently turns deadly.
    — N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026
  • During the appointment process, activists hammered Barclay for riding the CTA infrequently.
    — Talia Soglin, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of infrequently
Adverb
  • His two sons attended New York public schools, but Spade says their formal observance of the attacks seldom extended beyond a moment of silence.
    — Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 11 Sep. 2026
  • The earlier series has increasingly strained credulity by having its romance plots hinge on inequalities of gender and class, but seldom of race.
    — Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of seldom
Adverb
  • Indeed, as much as Chicago has looked to past mayors as larger-than-life figures, the city rarely has accomplished anything great without the active involvement of its business community.
    — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 20 Sep. 2026
  • The last words of Lizzie Borden have never been reported; in fact, she was rarely seen or heard from in public in the years following her acquittal.
    — Lynsey Eidell, PEOPLE, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of rarely

Browse Nearby Words

variable stars
variably
variance
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Variably.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/variably. Accessed 23 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
crayons-in-a-circle
Guess the Color Quiz Questions that use the whole box of crayons.
See All