not really
idiom
—used to say "no" in a way that is not very forceful or definite
"Was the movie good?" "Not really."
"Do you want to go to a movie?" "No, not really."
Examples of not really in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Most guys, they’re getting pulled at the fifth or sixth inning, not going deep into games and not really doing anything that makes headlines.
—
Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 29 May 2025
The optics do not really distinguish between the two.
—Judith Martin, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 May 2025
The patterning exercises, which are not based on science, ultimately did not really help Ian.
—Sarah Zhang, The Atlantic, 16 May 2025
The Huawei Watch does pop a notice before every test saying these results are for reference only, and not really meant to replace going to the doctors, or detect heart attacks.
—Ben Sin, Forbes.com, 16 May 2025
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Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 29 May 2025
The optics do not really distinguish between the two.
—Judith Martin, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 May 2025
The patterning exercises, which are not based on science, ultimately did not really help Ian.
—Sarah Zhang, The Atlantic, 16 May 2025
The Huawei Watch does pop a notice before every test saying these results are for reference only, and not really meant to replace going to the doctors, or detect heart attacks.
—Ben Sin, Forbes.com, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for not really
Cite this Entry
“Not really.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/not%20really. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.
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