1
as in innocently
with purity of thought and deed the devout girl vowed to live her life purely and in the service of God

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
as in solely
for nothing other than I fish purely for the fun of it—I don't care if I end up with no fish to fry

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3
as in only
nothing more than her pleasantries were purely for show and masked her true feelings

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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 purely At the time of his signing last October, the Bulls claimed the move was purely to facilitate Primo’s rehabilitation from an injury with no plans to roster him with the first team. Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 3 July 2025 There was the practical, the purely aesthetic, the absurdist combination of them all. Julissa James, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2025 For one, the plastic insect figurines are purely visual cues. Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 2 July 2025 The report argues that every dollar invested in water management, climate-resilient farming, and forest and wetland conservation could have a $10 return purely by lessening the impact of future droughts. Semafor Events, semafor.com, 30 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for purely
Recent Examples of Synonyms for purely
Adverb
  • Lobstermen with solely a state permit in the conservation management area had faced less restrictive maximum size and V-notch rules over the decades compared to those with a federal permit.
    Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 7 July 2025
  • Now, the public defender solely refers people to each court, and must argue a defendant deserves a referral before a judge.
    Ishani Desai July 7, Sacbee.com, 7 July 2025
Adverb
  • Forecasters said environmental conditions are expected to only be marginally conducive for development of this system, and the hurricane center said the storm has a 10% chance of formation through the next seven days.
    Gabe Hauari, USA Today, 8 July 2025
  • Stephenson was out only 13 months from Tommy John surgery before returning to the mound for two games in late May.
    Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 8 July 2025
Adverb
  • Not preparing properly can be the difference between a successful miniseason and a deadly one.
    Steve Waters, Miami Herald, 5 July 2025
  • In other news, the sun once again rose this morning and Earth continues to rotate properly on its axis.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2025
Adverb
  • As a junior, Bremner was used exclusively as a starter while once again upping his strikeout total.
    Bodie De Silva, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 July 2025
  • Beyond The Villa Love Island: Beyond the Villa is exclusively streaming on Peacock.
    Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 13 July 2025
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
  • Officers responded just after 7 p.m. to Truman Road and Missouri 78 Highway on a reported crash.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 13 July 2025
Adverb
  • Kirani argues that the role of venture capital investors in helping start-ups to become financially sustainable has to go beyond simply providing funding.
    David Prosser, Forbes.com, 11 July 2025
  • But with the exception of Morel, none of their additions projected to help the following season. Unable to address most of their immediate needs, the Rays simply expanded their talent base.
    Levi Weaver, New York Times, 11 July 2025
Adverb
  • And our brain struggles to differentiate between situations that are life-threatening and those that merely threaten our ego.
    Csaba Toth, Forbes.com, 2 July 2025
  • Judge Subramanian said the jurors must reach a unanimous verdict, but must not give up their convictions merely to return a verdict or satisfy the rest of the jurors.
    Lauryn Overhultz , Tracy Wright , Maria Paronich , Brendan McDonald, FOXNews.com, 1 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

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

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