How to Use figuratively in a Sentence

figuratively

adverb
  • The offers are all over the map, at least figuratively.
    — Neal Rubin, Freep.com, 10 Aug. 2025
  • Or, worse, will be figuratively crammed down the students’ throats.
    — James Coffin, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 Mar. 2026
  • This has been made with all my blood, figuratively and yes, physically of all of me.
    — Alex Ritman, Variety, 21 Apr. 2026
  • Hassett said the park is figuratively on its own island and this is a good way to connect it to the rest of the village.
    — Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 28 July 2025
  • All of these can add up to stress headaches—literally and figuratively.
    — Sarah Garone, Health, 16 Apr. 2023
  • And the next day, figuratively speaking, we were expected to come up with a new album.
    — Ed Masley, The Arizona Republic, 29 Nov. 2021
  • Of course, that means leaving for a place that is figuratively and, in this case, literally, less cool.
    — Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2026
  • Fires must be put out, literally and figuratively, all the time.
    — Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 22 June 2023
  • The whole thing becomes a lesson on how to give your sparring partner the right amount of rope to figuratively hang themselves.
    — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 12 Oct. 2023
  • Others did so to check in with students who needed a shoulder to lean on, figuratively speaking.
    — oregonlive, 21 Jan. 2021
  • Some feel as though the beach is both literally and figuratively being pulled from under them.
    — Kiara Alfonseca, ABC News, 28 June 2024
  • Thankfully, the horse is back on his feet, literally and figuratively, by the end of the episode.
    — Sara Netzley, EW.com, 19 Dec. 2024
  • Fitzgerald’s success with that is one of the reasons the Rams were able to swing for the fences this season, at least figuratively.
    — Steve Reaven, Chicago Tribune, 13 June 2023
  • The slides come in cream and black shades with a half-inch block heel that both figuratively and literally elevates the overall look.
    — Megan Schaltegger, Peoplemag, 22 June 2024
  • Steven Bethell wears a lot of hats, both figuratively and literally.
    — Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 19 Aug. 2024
  • Two rides stand above the rest at Tivoli, literally and figuratively.
    — Tamara Shopsin, Travel + Leisure, 16 Dec. 2025
  • Those super-sleek, tight buns and twists that are having a moment give me such a headache, figuratively and literally.
    — Marci Robin, Allure, 14 Nov. 2025
  • At the center of the home—both literally and figuratively—was a large, sunken seating area, square in shape and reached by a set of four open-tread steps.
    — Kate Reggev, Architectural Digest, 28 June 2024
  • His hope was that Mendoza would help the Raiders do the same, figuratively, for their opponents.
    — Dan Greene, New Yorker, 18 May 2026
  • Davis presided over the event both figuratively and physically, sitting at a table on the stage.
    — John Ross, Vanity Fair, 1 Feb. 2026
  • Lottie's just had kidney damage, she's had her face punched in, and she's been brought to her knees both literally and figuratively.
    — Nojan Aminosharei, Harper's BAZAAR, 26 May 2023
  • Two men sit in prison − one literally, one figuratively.
    — Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 10 Mar. 2026
  • Here, nine ways to get your hands dirty (figuratively speaking) with some of the freshest, greenest vegetal perfumes around.
    — Lori Keong, Allure, 7 Sep. 2024
  • Each night, the traitors eliminate one faithful by figuratively murdering them, ending their time on the show.
    — Tiney Ricciardi, Denver Post, 3 Mar. 2026
  • Chef Kristi Brown is ready to give us all something to chew on—literally and figuratively.
    — Noel Burgess, Forbes, 12 Jan. 2025
  • And maybe that’s what put the wind in, literally, in the sails of the—or figuratively and also literally—in the sails of those ships.
    — David Frum, The Atlantic, 1 July 2026
  • Heck, not even a little erectile dysfunction can get him down… figuratively speaking.
    — Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 12 Sep. 2025
  • The destruction of the horns was a heavy loss for Danes, both literally and figuratively.
    — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 1 Oct. 2025
  • The quest to topple Chronos will require a lot of time killing, literally and figuratively.
    — Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 27 Sep. 2025
  • Monroe left her beauty mark on the world, both literally and figuratively.
    — Andrea Wurzburger, PEOPLE, 26 June 2026

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'figuratively.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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