promptly

adverb

Synonyms of promptlynext
1
: in a prompt manner : without delay : very quickly or immediately
I'm going to speak French again, something I learned in school and promptly forgot.—Deanna Pai
Treatment is promptly resumed until the virus is suppressed again, and then stopped to see if the patient's immune system is able to keep the viral levels in check.—Joan Stephenson
2
: exactly at a particular time or the correct time
She arrived promptly at 7:00 p.m. as we had agreed.

Examples of promptly in a Sentence

shipped the package promptly so that it would arrive on time
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Atlanta promptly scored a touchdown and converted the two-point attempt. — Dan Zaksheske Outkick, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2026 When Weber and Logan balked, the Justice Department promptly sued them and the state in a case currently pending in federal court. — Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026 The statute requires the Title IX coordinator to promptly contact the complainant to discuss available supportive measures, even if a formalcomplaint isn’t filed. — Ray Sanchez, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026 The last act of the night, Toliver’s set saw a rush of fans toward the stage, all of whom promptly got their cell phones out to document the star. — Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 24 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for promptly

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of promptly was in the 15th century

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Cite this Entry

“Promptly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/promptly. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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