simply

adverb

ˈsim-plē How to pronounce simply (audio)
Definition of simplynext
1
as in only
for nothing other than the scholarships are awarded simply on the basis of merit uninterested in food, she eats simply to keep alive

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in just
nothing more than it's simply smart to shop around before buying an item

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 simply While Brandon Jacobs has simply held onto the memories of a man who treated him as his own son, Lee Jacobs has spent part of his adult life trying to learn who his father was. — Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 21 Oct. 2026 Abby, who killed Joel in season two, is a far more interesting character, and Kaitlyn Dever is simply a much more captivating actress. — David Hookstead Outkick, FOXNews.com, 21 Oct. 2026 Catches works to show proportion and how garments behave in motion, rather than simply generating an AI image of a static item. — Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 21 Oct. 2026 Whether that means early hormone testing—as Jung and Purdie suggest—or simply knowing that going abroad is an option. — Jessica Poitevien, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for simply
Recent Examples of Synonyms for simply
  1. only
  2. just
  3. purely
  4. merely
  5. solely
  6. exclusively
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
  • 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
  • Surprises happen when a film is cast purely from people DeFalco finds interesting.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Ian, my character, is not entirely good, and Henry, the ostensibly villainous character played by Brendan Cowell, is not purely dark either.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of purely
Adverb
  • In Boston, Rodrigues of the National Parents Union – a nonprofit advocacy and grassroots organization – objects to schools using devices merely to occupy students.
    — Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Anudike-Uzomah was merely a two-star recruit coming out of Lee’s Summit.
    — Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of merely
Adverb
  • However, this also means that Googlebooks are limited solely to running Android apps.
    — Joe Osborne, PC Magazine, 24 Oct. 2026
  • When comparing lenders, Miranda advises not to focus solely on the advertised interest rate.
    — Dan Avery, CNBC, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of solely
Adverb
  • The room is a design flex of its own — velvet banquettes, rich purples, cerulean blues, gold and marble, with art exclusively by women.
    — Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Robinhood Ventures has cut Cognition a check for $10 million, the company exclusively told Fortune, which follows a $75 million investment in OpenAI back in April.
    — Morgan Chittum, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of exclusively

Browse Nearby Words

simplistic
simply
simps
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of grotesque

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All