Thesaurus results for MERELY

merely

adverb

ˈmir-lē

Definition of merely

as in just

nothing more than the outside noise was merely a raccoon knocking over the garbage can

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 merely Yet Majors’ part was merely a villain amid an ensemble cast, not a lead who’s on camera in just about every scene. — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 24 Oct. 2026 Ultimately, whoever wins the World Series will merely be setting the stage for an offseason that could have massive ramifications for the sport. — Andrew Greif, NBC news, 23 Oct. 2026 Overreporting runs the risk of shunting troubled kids into the criminal-justice system merely for expressing morbid thoughts. — Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2026 Matt is no longer interested in merely regaining the reputation, career, and money that was taken from him in the wake of Szabo’s attack. — Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for merely

Recent Examples of Synonyms for merely

Adverb

Completing the flight test just weeks after a captive-carry event demonstrated how quickly the program progressed through its testing sequence.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 21 Oct. 2026
The mattress was ready to sleep on just a few hours after unpacking.

— Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of just

Adverb

Advertisement As a result, many older users who may have only had glancing interactions with AI have become avid users.

— Andrew R. Chow, Time, 22 Oct. 2026
Zygielbaum was surprised however that the DOJ reached out only to him, and not the Republican clerk in neighboring Weld County, which also houses a sizable portion of that same congressional district.

— Miles Parks, NPR, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of only

Adverb

Looking forward, adding Tesla will simply make a new SpaceX’s huge need for cash far more acute.

— Shawn Tully, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026
Loretta Sanchez, a former Democratic congresswoman from Orange County who credits Becerra with encouraging her to run for Congress, put it simply.

— Ben Wieder, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of simply

Browse Nearby Words

mere

merely

meres

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Style

“Merely.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/merely. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of merely

adverb

Example Sentences

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