metaphorically

adverb

Definition of metaphoricallynext
as in loosely

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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 metaphorically Koss’ home run will go fair one of these days, though, metaphorically speaking. — Grant Brisbee, New York Times, 28 Sep. 2026 Our conversation danced like the flames, and sparks flew (literally and metaphorically) as Quinn cut and hammered iron. — Sarah Wood González, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Sep. 2026 Literally or metaphorically, your ideal romance or financial situation is top of mind right now. — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 10 Sep. 2026 The Graces helped love bloom in the world, metaphorically and literally. — Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for metaphorically
Recent Examples of Synonyms for metaphorically
  1. loosely
  2. carelessly
  3. inaccurately
  4. freely
Adverb
  • Right now, those terms are used loosely across product listings, and reviewers are being careful to distinguish them.
    — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Mike Flanagan’s story loosely co-opts the villain origin tale behind many of those incarnations — actor with an ax to grind gains shapeshifting abilities — but otherwise starts more or less from scratch.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of loosely
Adverb
  • Neither phone should be used carelessly at the beach, but that higher dust rating offers a little more peace of mind.
    — Nilay Patel, The Verge, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Combine them carelessly and you either gold-plate the commercial layer or under-build the safety-critical one.
    — Stephen Farrugia, Forbes.com, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of carelessly
Adverb
  • Part of the Blue Island discourse was predicated on the language some Black artists sometimes use to express their frustration around their art being inaccurately labeled.
    — Kyle Denis, Billboard, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Keep in mind, though, that software often inaccurately depicts the actuation points of keyboards, albeit by amounts that are hard to notice, according to RTINGs’ testing).
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of inaccurately
Adverb
  • Every team’s games will stream locally, with many franchises also airing contests on freely available over-the-air broadcast stations.
    — Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The business terms, which were originally supposed to go into effect on October 30th, appeared to give Meta permission to freely scrape the new sites that use its platforms, while using the material for AI training.
    — Emma Roth, The Verge, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of freely

Browse Nearby Words

metaphoric
metaphorically
metaphors
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Cite this Entry

“Metaphorically.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/metaphorically. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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