variably

adverb

Definition of variablynext
1
as in differently

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Dissimilar Words
2
as in sometimes

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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 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
  • Virgo August 23 – September 22 Someone at home may remember the same event very differently.
    — Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 11 Nov. 2026
  • Suggest a specific adjustment, such as changing the timing or dividing the responsibility differently.
    — Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 10 Nov. 2026
Definition of differently
Adverb
  • These connections may experience interference or dropouts independently of the control link, meaning a pilot can sometimes lose the camera feed while retaining control of the aircraft.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 8 Nov. 2026
  • The leaves are steeped in a hollowed gourd and the drink is sipped through a metal straw called a bombilla, and the gourd passes from hand to hand among friends, family and sometimes strangers, refilled for hours.
    — ISABEL DEBRE, Arkansas Online, 8 Nov. 2026
Definition of sometimes
Adverb
  • Gallego is a relatively moderate and somewhat heterodox candidate, and although his plan isn’t exactly a Luddite call to smash the robots, he might be seen as a bellwether for what the left side of the aisle will be thinking in the coming years.
    — Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 10 Nov. 2026
  • The fact that the hitting staff — the Yankees also employed assistant hitting coaches Casey Dykes and Jake Hirst in 2026 — is still in limbo is somewhat surprising for a few reasons.
    — Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 10 Nov. 2026
Definition of somewhat
Adverb
  • The judge found that the rules gave city officials excessive discretion to decide which remarks were permissible and that they had been enforced inconsistently.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The superintendent shall not allow discipline to be applied inconsistently across campuses or student groups.
    — Lina Ruiz, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of inconsistently
Adverb
  • As chief of staff, Wiles continued to be an inconspicuous, albeit powerful, figure in the White House -- continuing to stay out of the spotlight and speaking infrequently to the media.
    — Nicholas Kerr, ABC News, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Researchers who recorded parent-child car rides around sporting events found that much of the time passed in silence and sports came up relatively infrequently.
    — Adam Annaccone, The Conversation, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of infrequently
Adverb
  • Although foreign policy seldom gains the attention of Americans as domestic policy does, the new majority in Congress must speak out forcefully for our allies and trading partners across the Atlantic.
    — Bob Kustra, Chicago Tribune, 8 Nov. 2026
  • Steven Pasquale, prolific and robust as an actor and here directing for the first time, has put his finger on something in turning Odets’s agitprop one-act, often referenced but seldom performed, into a kind of workers’ dream ballet.
    — Sara Holdren, Vulture, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of seldom
Adverb
  • Crossword puzzles may include verbs or adjectives that one rarely has occasion to see or use elsewhere.
    — Sam Corbin, New York Times, 8 Nov. 2026
  • The results of message polls are rarely shared publicly, the experts said.
    — Rafael Olmeda, Sun Sentinel, 8 Nov. 2026
Definition of rarely

Browse Nearby Words

variable stars
variably
variance
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Cite this Entry

“Variably.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/variably. Accessed 13 Nov. 2026.

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