VARIABLY Synonyms: 56 Similar and Opposite Words

variably

adverb

Definition of variably

as in differently

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

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

Adverb

What Art of Play could have done differently Paul Fombelle, an associate professor of marketing at Northeastern University’s D’Amore-McKim School of Business, told Fortune that the encounter may have been a genuine misunderstanding.

— Bilin Lin, Fortune, 13 Oct. 2026
One agency may require an additional review before advancing an environmental decision, while another may interpret a reevaluation trigger differently depending on how similar cases have been handled in the past.

— Balaji Sreenivasan, Forbes.com, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of differently

Adverb

The billionaire has logged on to games such as Path of Exile 2, Diablo IV, and Elden Ring, sometimes livestreaming his sessions.

— Preston Fore, Fortune, 11 Oct. 2026
But Maguire and Strayer are felt as loudly as Maines across the record, through their gorgeous harmonies, but also fiddle and banjo and, sometimes, sitar and accordion.

— Shaad D’Souza, Pitchfork, 11 Oct. 2026

Definition of sometimes

Adverb

Countries that are somewhat insulated from the energy shocks of the Iran war and that are benefiting from rapid adoption of AI are managing to keep growth on track.

— Elaine Kurtenbach, Fortune, 13 Oct. 2026
American Horror Story is on a generational run this season, bringing back beloved characters from the show’s past 12 installments and throwing them together in somewhat random configurations that still never fail to please me.

— Emma Specter, Vogue, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of somewhat

Adverb

In fact, their outcomes represented the views of a small group of people who turn out inconsistently and often do not even represent the views of the parties’ voters, to say nothing of the general public.

— Robert Boatright, The Conversation, 6 Oct. 2026
Clinicians interacting with the actors inconsistently wore recommended personal protective equipment (gloves, mask, gown, and eye protection).

— Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of inconsistently

Adverb

Since the first Palestinian intifada, or uprising, began in 1987, human rights organizations have documented how seldom investigations into Israeli soldiers’ killings of Palestinians resulted in prosecution.

— Tamir Sorek, The Conversation, 12 Oct. 2026
Scholars of her work have debated why women seldom take center stage.

— Alex Ross, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of seldom

Adverb

The expression has different meanings across cultures, rarely referring to its literal translation.

— Annika Pham, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026
Loudspeakers around the protest site warned that gatherings of five or more people were banned in parts of New Delhi, as authorities imposed sweeping security restrictions rarely seen in the capital.

— Sheikh Saaliq, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2026

Definition of rarely

Browse Nearby Words

variable stars

variably

variance

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Variably.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/variably. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of variably

adverb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

syncretic

Popular in Grammar & Usage

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

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

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 16

Popular

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

Games & Quizzes