as in slightly
by a very small margin
we barely made it to the church on time
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 barely
Check on it regularly and water as needed to make sure the soil remains barely moist, and pull it out again in spring.
—
Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 July 2025
And that wouldn't include expanding the tunnels or building rails above ground, which would be necessary since the existing system barely covers three of Cincinnati's 52 neighborhoods and doesn't come close to the rest of Hamilton County.
—Sydney Franklin, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
Oil prices were barely higher, giving up an earlier jump following the attacks.
—Jacob Pramuk, CNBC, 23 June 2025
Built from the Ground Up, With Love Just barely out of college, the founders of Walters Wedding Estates took an extraordinary leap of faith.
—Rhiannon Frater, USA Today, 23 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for barely
Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 July 2025
And that wouldn't include expanding the tunnels or building rails above ground, which would be necessary since the existing system barely covers three of Cincinnati's 52 neighborhoods and doesn't come close to the rest of Hamilton County.
—Sydney Franklin, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
Oil prices were barely higher, giving up an earlier jump following the attacks.
—Jacob Pramuk, CNBC, 23 June 2025
Built from the Ground Up, With Love Just barely out of college, the founders of Walters Wedding Estates took an extraordinary leap of faith.
—Rhiannon Frater, USA Today, 23 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for barely
Recent Examples of Synonyms for barely
Adverb
-
As a result, their bonus pool is just $6.57 million, third lowest among MLB teams.—
Jeff Sanders,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 July 2025
-
Mason is a stand-up comic Pryor's youngest son is a stand-up comic, just like his dad.—
Julie Tremaine,
People.com,
13 July 2025
Adverb
-
The controversial businessman and world’s richest person is hardly known to be hands-off.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
10 July 2025
-
But rubber tires are hardly the only items recycled into products for our homes.—
LEW SICHELMAN,
Miami Herald,
10 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Barely.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barely. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share