as in accurately
in a literal, true, or accurate way
She is not one for hyperbole—all of her warnings should be taken literally. The employees took the CEO's remarks literally and rightfully worried about the future health of the company.
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Recent Examples of literally
This one can literally fit in your pocket, has 15 looping sounds, can be set to a timer and is rechargeable for on-the-go zen.
—
Jillian Dara, Travel + Leisure, 21 Oct. 2025
The shuttered store has left a huge hole in the neighborhood — literally and figuratively.
—April Quevedo, jsonline.com, 21 Oct. 2025
People are literally murdering people in LA and getting out of jail.
—Jack Royston, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
Gutfeld, who will headline the Ford Idaho Center on May 2, 2026, literally traffics in what many consider unkind mockery.
—Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for literally
Jillian Dara, Travel + Leisure, 21 Oct. 2025
The shuttered store has left a huge hole in the neighborhood — literally and figuratively.
—April Quevedo, jsonline.com, 21 Oct. 2025
People are literally murdering people in LA and getting out of jail.
—Jack Royston, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
Gutfeld, who will headline the Ford Idaho Center on May 2, 2026, literally traffics in what many consider unkind mockery.
—Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for literally
Recent Examples of Synonyms for literally
Adverb
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Researchers at the tech giant created DeepSomatic, a new open-source AI model that helps scientists analyze cancer genomes more quickly and accurately.—
Jeremy Kahn,
Fortune,
21 Oct. 2025
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This is far from the only example of the West struggling to evaluate threats accurately, with deadly consequences.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
20 Oct. 2025
Adverb
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Although the balloon incident has not been directly linked to Moscow, Lithuania's border closures add to tensions spiked by accusations of Russian incursions into NATO airspace amid Moscow’s aggression in Ukraine.—
Brendan Cole,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
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The dagger of a late third-period goal came directly in front of him.—
Joshua Kloke,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
Video
Literally
A word that (literally) drives people nuts
Cite this Entry
“Literally.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/literally. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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