wholly

adverb

ˈhō(l)-lē How to pronounce wholly (audio)
Definition of whollynext
as in completely
to a full extent or degree not wholly convinced by the evidence that the prosecutor presented

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 wholly According to Downs’ report, Adanse LLC, wholly owned by Espinosa, received $20,000. — Sara-James Ranta, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Aug. 2026 In 1997, South Africa replaced two underperforming tax authorities with a wholly new revenue collection agency. — Jennifer Pahlka, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026 Which is telling, and the tell is that fewer and fewer American retirees are wholly reliant on Social Security as is. — John Tamny, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026 Seen together, the trilogy charts both a personal coming-of-age and a generational coming-to-grips with aging that, even when compared against similar serialized documentary experiments like Michael Apted’s 7 Up installments, feels wholly unique. — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 15 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for wholly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wholly
  1. completely
  2. fully
  3. totally
  4. utterly
  5. quite
  6. perfectly
  7. entirely
  8. all
Adverb
  • Russian forces have long targeted the strategic cities of Kostyantynivka, Kramatorsk and Sloviansk as part of a push to completely capture the Donetsk Oblast, one of the Kremlin’s key objectives in the conflict.
    — Sam Meredith, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Who Framed Roger Rabbit, which was directed by Robert Zemeckis with animation overseen by Richard Williams, takes every aspect of itself, even the zany silliness of cartoons, completely seriously, while never losing sight of the fun.
    — James Grebey, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of completely
Adverb
  • Anthropic wanted assurance that its technology would not be used for fully autonomous weapons or domestic mass surveillance, and the DOD wanted Anthropic to grant the agency unfettered access to Claude across all lawful purposes.
    — Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
  • But then Anton brings up the idea of Talia and Brooke using him as their sperm donor and Talia fully cracks up.
    — Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of fully
Adverb
  • Billie is a pro at this by now, which extends to wingman-ing, but Issa totally lost her skills after being out of the game so long.
    — Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
  • In reality, Young came up with a totally different concept for the tour shortly before rehearsals began.
    — Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of totally
Adverb
  • Fast-forward to today, and the brand’s shampoos, conditioners, hair oils, hair masks, and more are flying off the shelf—while the bond-repairing-product business is utterly booming.
    — Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 24 Aug. 2026
  • For this is the unintentionally funny story of what happens when utterly unhinged and high-minded hubris becomes your guiding light.
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of utterly
Adverb
  • It's been quite a disappointing year for home shoppers who waited since 2023 for rates to cool off.
    — Kelsey Neubauer, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
  • However, the approach is marred by low throughput, and the process is also quite complex to execute.
    — Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of quite
Adverb
  • Before Gould arrived, Gates’s team spent the day installing — making sure every bedspread, headboard, desk arrangement, lamp and, of course, the umbrella were perfectly in place.
    — Luke Chinman, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Mia Wasikowska perfectly embodies the role of Agata, a writer returning to her home continent, seeking to understand and reconnect with the wounds of the recent past, and with the ways in which unresolved conflicts continue to echo in the present.
    — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of perfectly
Adverb
  • Returning raiding parties had to hand over their Thompson sub-machine guns to the outgoing lot and the usual backup sidearms were missing entirely.
    — David Szondy August 30, New Atlas, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Hasty said the leaders doing the hardest, smartest work often get missed entirely, because their skill shows up in decision quality, not the final score.
    — Rhett Power, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of entirely
Adverb
  • Luke Kang sits in first all alone after a 69 for Trinity Prep on Day 1 of the Bishop McLaughlin Invitational.
    — Steve Gorches, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Bi’s look is very well made but a little one-note with the all-red palette.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of all

Browse Nearby Words

whole-souled
wholly
whomp
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Wholly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wholly. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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