1
as in innocently
with purity of thought and deed
the devout girl vowed to live her life purely and in the service of God
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in solely
for nothing other than
I fish purely for the fun of it—I don't care if I end up with no fish to fry
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples 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 purely
Rather than focusing purely on punitive, unilateral action, an emerging bipartisan consensus emphasizes the importance of improving U.S. trade partners’ labor practices to start to level the playing field.
—
Miriam Sapiro, Foreign Affairs, 23 Oct. 2024
While mass immigration has become a hot-button political issue across the world, some politicians in Europe have started to push back against golden visas that give the wealthy citizenship or residency purely based on investments.
—Robert Frank, CNBC, 1 Nov. 2024
Take, for a purely hypothetical example, Alfonso Arau’s 1992 adaptation of Laura Esquivel‘s
Like Water for Chocolate.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Nov. 2024
No longer just an apple-picking staple—or a clothing item purely associated with bands like Nirvana—turn to Miu Miu’s tartan style for a high-fashion twist on the trend.
—Laura Jackson, Vogue, 31 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for purely 
Miriam Sapiro, Foreign Affairs, 23 Oct. 2024
While mass immigration has become a hot-button political issue across the world, some politicians in Europe have started to push back against golden visas that give the wealthy citizenship or residency purely based on investments.
—Robert Frank, CNBC, 1 Nov. 2024
Take, for a purely hypothetical example, Alfonso Arau’s 1992 adaptation of Laura Esquivel‘s
Like Water for Chocolate.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Nov. 2024
No longer just an apple-picking staple—or a clothing item purely associated with bands like Nirvana—turn to Miu Miu’s tartan style for a high-fashion twist on the trend.
—Laura Jackson, Vogue, 31 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for purely
Recent Examples of Synonyms for purely
Adverb
-
Research and development expenses were eliminated following a business model shift to focus solely on manufacturing for Medtronic, compared to $2.8 million in the previous year.Quartz Bot, Quartz, 14 Nov. 2024
-
All opinions expressed by the CNBC Pro contributors are solely their opinions and do not reflect the opinions of CNBC, NBC UNIVERSAL, their parent company or affiliates, and may have been previously disseminated by them on television, radio, internet or another medium.Nishant Pant, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2024
Adverb
-
The 49ers’ only divisional win this season came by outlasting the Seahawks 36-24 in a Thursday night, Oct. 10 visit to Seattle.Cam Inman, The Mercury News, 16 Nov. 2024
-
Travis Hunter had several Heisman moments but only a mediocre day receiving by his standards (five catches for 55 yards).Kyle Newman, The Denver Post, 16 Nov. 2024
Adverb
-
Specifically, the lawsuit claimed there was proof that some poll workers did not provide voters with inner secrecy envelopes or failed to instruct voters on how to use them and what was required to make sure their ballots were properly counted.Barnini Chakraborty, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 21 Nov. 2024
-
Rothenberg said the threats' origin would need to be properly investigated by federal authorities but noted bomb threats were an easy way for anyone, including foreign adversaries to the U.S., to disrupt the democratic process.Rey Covarrubias Jr., The Arizona Republic, 21 Nov. 2024
Adverb
-
The market once run by non-Natives is now almost exclusively managed by Indigenous people as part of the Southwestern Association for Indian Arts, or SWAIA.Debra Utacia Krol, The Arizona Republic, 22 Nov. 2024
-
Designed exclusively for the 2024 Mac Mini M4, this Stand & Hub matches the size and look of the new Mac Mini M4 perfectly.Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024
Adverb
-
The building is just a few blocks away from the brewery at 1625 Central Parkway, which is the main production brewery for Samuel Adams beers, according to the company.Randy Tucker, The Enquirer, 22 Nov. 2024
-
Stamper has said footage taken just before the shooting shows Stines using his own phone to make a call, then using the judge's phone to make a call.Lucas Aulbach, The Courier-Journal, 22 Nov. 2024
Adverb
-
Gift cards, too, are simply cash by another name, only restricted to specific stores.Allie Volpe, Vox, 19 Nov. 2024
-
Iran possessing nukes represents an existential threat to Israel’s security in a way that terror groups—despite their horrific actions—simply never did.Carrie A. Lee, Foreign Affairs, 19 Nov. 2024
Adverb
-
Art was merely one element of a much larger pursuit.Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 22 Nov. 2024
-
Instead, the use is merely ornamental or decorative.Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 21 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near purely
Cite this Entry
“Purely.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purely. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share