true to life
idiom
: realistic and natural
The author presents the characters in a way that feels very true to life.
Examples of true to life in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Ones that feel true to life where grief and loss commingle with joy, love, and intimacy.
—
Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 3 June 2025
Still, there is something conspicuously postmodern about Crews’s material: Eugene performs to the Rocky soundtrack, and scorns Raging Bull for not being true to life.
—Charlie Lee, Harpers Magazine, 18 June 2025
And that's only the start Wales, who was heavily involved in making sure the video felt true to life, said recreating her brother's laugh was especially tough because most clips of Pelkey were filled with background noise.
—Juliana Kim, NPR, 7 May 2025
A lot of them also indicate a psychotic break, introducing an element of ambiguity that’s true to life and also smart for an independent filmmaker without a huge budget for alien effects.
—Katie Rife, IndieWire, 12 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for true to life
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.
Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 3 June 2025
Still, there is something conspicuously postmodern about Crews’s material: Eugene performs to the Rocky soundtrack, and scorns Raging Bull for not being true to life.
—Charlie Lee, Harpers Magazine, 18 June 2025
And that's only the start Wales, who was heavily involved in making sure the video felt true to life, said recreating her brother's laugh was especially tough because most clips of Pelkey were filled with background noise.
—Juliana Kim, NPR, 7 May 2025
A lot of them also indicate a psychotic break, introducing an element of ambiguity that’s true to life and also smart for an independent filmmaker without a huge budget for alien effects.
—Katie Rife, IndieWire, 12 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for true to life
Cite this Entry
“True to life.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/true%20to%20life. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share