literally

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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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 literally The breakdown occurred downstream, both literally and institutionally. Alexander Puutio, Forbes.com, 8 July 2025 The Charter Commission is the one entity that is, literally, considering the future of the city’s political life. Christian Browne, New York Daily News, 7 July 2025 Staffers had to literally teach Lohner how to put his pads on, at first, as Utes head coach Kyle Whittingham recalled. Luca Evans, Denver Post, 7 July 2025 These are games that literally can’t be played anywhere else. PC Magazine, 6 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for literally
Recent Examples of Synonyms for literally
Adverb
  • That accurately sums up the plea deal. — Richard Vatz, Towson Add your voice: Respond to this piece or other Sun content by submitting your own letter.
    Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 4 July 2025
  • Investors can price risk and returns more accurately, making capital markets much more efficient.
    Dave Birnbaum, Forbes.com, 4 July 2025
Adverb
  • The probability of lightning strikes rises as a thunderstorm approaches and peaks when the storm is directly above.
    Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 10 July 2025
  • Salena Zito, who has been chronicling the politics of the Rust Belt for decades, was directly in front of the stage on that fateful day in July 2024 when Donald Trump was shot.
    Philip Klein, National Review, 10 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Literally.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/literally. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.

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