as in slightly
by a very small margin
we barely made it to the church on time
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of barely
No, Tucker isn’t playing (because Tom Thibodeau barely plays reserves), but his veteran voice continues to resonate.
—
Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 17 May 2025
Wiener’s bill has made its way through two committee, but only barely escaped one over the objections its chair.
—Ben Christopher, Mercury News, 16 May 2025
Ellie’s resourcefulness, and her understanding that she can be bitten without turning, barely gets them out alive, and forces her to tell Dina the truth about her immunity.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 4 May 2025
Just a whisper south of Palm Beach, the tiny seaside town of Manalapan—barely 2.4 square miles and home to fewer than 500 residents—has suddenly become the South Florida destination of choice for the world’s wealthiest home buyers.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 4 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for barely
Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 17 May 2025
Wiener’s bill has made its way through two committee, but only barely escaped one over the objections its chair.
—Ben Christopher, Mercury News, 16 May 2025
Ellie’s resourcefulness, and her understanding that she can be bitten without turning, barely gets them out alive, and forces her to tell Dina the truth about her immunity.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 4 May 2025
Just a whisper south of Palm Beach, the tiny seaside town of Manalapan—barely 2.4 square miles and home to fewer than 500 residents—has suddenly become the South Florida destination of choice for the world’s wealthiest home buyers.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 4 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for barely
Recent Examples of Synonyms for barely
Adverb
-
The first memorial day wasn't called Memorial Day Decoration Day, May 30, 1868, was held at Arlington National Cemetery, which was just one of 74 national cemeteries established after the Civil War.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
27 May 2025
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On Monday night, there was no double-overtime – just one extra frame this time – and there was no goal overturned as the Frost beat the Ottawa Charge 2-1 to repeat as Walter Cup Champions, this time in front of 11,024 fans at the Xcel Energy Center.—
Hailey Salvian,
New York Times,
27 May 2025
Adverb
-
However, the meeting hardly quelled tensions between the two churches.—
Timothy Nerozzi,
The Washington Examiner,
23 May 2025
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In this respect, the Pope is hardly an exception, as many Chicago pastors have been sent to do missionary work in Latin America, according to the historian Deborah Kanter.—
Geraldo Cadava,
New Yorker,
22 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Barely.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barely. Accessed 2 Jun. 2025.
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