as in slightly
by a very small margin
we barely made it to the church on time
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Recent Examples of barely
The Legion of Super-Pets was even co-created by Jerry Siegel, the Superman co-creator who was barely making ends meet with his DC Comics work in the ’60s.
—
Daniel Dockery, Vulture, 11 July 2025
It is finished out of left field with barely more than a teaspoon of sweet vermouth, offering just enough plush fruit and herbaceousness to keep it complex and interesting while keeping the overall sweetness very low.
—Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 11 July 2025
The irony was unmistakable: a man who barely spoke in interviews, who shrank from the stage, whose music sidestepped every commercial instinct of his time, was now the soundtrack to a car commercial.
—arkansasonline.com, 5 July 2025
The Dow Jones industrial average barely cracked 1,000 that year, versus its current level of 44,000-plus.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 4 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for barely
Daniel Dockery, Vulture, 11 July 2025
It is finished out of left field with barely more than a teaspoon of sweet vermouth, offering just enough plush fruit and herbaceousness to keep it complex and interesting while keeping the overall sweetness very low.
—Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 11 July 2025
The irony was unmistakable: a man who barely spoke in interviews, who shrank from the stage, whose music sidestepped every commercial instinct of his time, was now the soundtrack to a car commercial.
—arkansasonline.com, 5 July 2025
The Dow Jones industrial average barely cracked 1,000 that year, versus its current level of 44,000-plus.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 4 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for barely
Recent Examples of Synonyms for barely
Adverb
-
After over 30 years in the spotlight, Whitley’s creative momentum is stronger than ever, and she’s just getting started.—
Okla Jones,
Essence,
26 July 2025
-
Musk has slowly moved his businesses away from California, opening a headquarters for Tesla just outside of Austin and establishing offices for SpaceX, The Boring Co., Neuralink and X in Texas.—
Karoline Leonard,
Austin American Statesman,
26 July 2025
Adverb
-
Since the pandemic, children walking into a video call is hardly newsworthy anymore.—
Lieke ten Brummelhuis,
Forbes.com,
22 July 2025
-
Marvel has made clear that the studio is preparing the Fantastic Four’s most iconic nemesis, Dr. Doom, for a forthcoming film, but the planet-obliterating combo of Galactus and Silver Surfer hardly feel like second best.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
22 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Barely.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barely. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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