How to Use solely in a Sentence

solely

adverb
  • She did not write solely for money.
  • His rank was based solely on merit.
  • You will be held solely responsible for any damage.
  • It was solely based on the land use.
    — Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 Mar. 2026
  • This one solely falls on Williams.
    — Colton Pouncy, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025
  • Most things like this these days are solely about the latter.
    — Corey Masisak, The Denver Post, 13 Apr. 2024
  • But the roots of medicine can’t be traced back solely to science.
    — Christopher Hartnick, STAT, 4 Jan. 2022
  • Don’t rely solely on your cell phone.
    — Paloma Chavez, Sacbee.com, 26 Sep. 2025
  • Don’t rely solely on your cell phone.
    — Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 3 Nov. 2025
  • Don’t rely solely on your cell phone.
    — Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 29 Apr. 2026
  • No, all of you did this solely for the cheap thrill of petty theft.
    — Nate Odenkirk, The New Yorker, 28 Dec. 2021
  • At the same time, this board cannot be defined solely by what has gone wrong.
    — Livi Stanford, Hartford Courant, 22 May 2026
  • These wines are much lighter in color and the grapes are used solely to make rosé.
    — Katie Kelly Bell, Forbes, 26 Apr. 2022
  • This is not a ski town that relies solely on greasy-spoon joints and pub fare.
    — Todd Plummer, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Feb. 2024
  • But Anuel did not lean solely on smash singles.
    — Isabela Raygoza, Billboard, 22 Oct. 2025
  • This chat is solely in the mind of Catherine.
    — Greg Evans, Deadline, 16 Apr. 2026
  • But this is not solely an act of altruism.
    — Chi Varnado, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Oct. 2025
  • But my main focus is never solely about me.
    — Joseph Person, New York Times, 28 Oct. 2025
  • The people who got to choose what was funny are no longer solely in charge.
    — New York Times, 25 Feb. 2022
  • But that doesn’t mean her life must be defined solely by sorrow.
    — Mekita Rivas, Harper's BAZAAR, 24 Nov. 2021
  • The bills would have made the left lane of highways solely a passing lane.
    — Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 13 Feb. 2026
  • But this is not solely an issue about funding.
    — Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 12 Mar. 2026
  • And in much of the shop's first few decades, the store was run solely by volunteers.
    — Olivia Evans, Louisville Courier Journal, 17 Sep. 2025
  • No one is defined solely by their illness.
    — Jonathan Hunt-Glassman, Fortune, 2 Apr. 2026
  • The appeals court stay this month did not rely solely on the number of agents.
    — Andy Rose, CNN Money, 28 Oct. 2025
  • This is because the debt was never solely tied to the deceased spouse.
    — Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 18 June 2026
  • The apparel was made solely for the showcase, and will not be sold.
    — Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 18 July 2025
  • Boys and men are proudly singing the lyrics written solely by a female artist.
    — Mesfin Fekadu, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Dec. 2023
  • Our focus is solely on finding her and bringing her home.
    — Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 23 Mar. 2026
  • Our focus is solely on finding her and bringing her home.
    — Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 24 Mar. 2026

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'solely.' 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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