right 1 of 4

right

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adjective

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right

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adverb

1
as in just
as stated or indicated without the slightest difference stay right where you are

Synonyms & Similar Words

2
as in straight
in a direct line or course walk right over here now

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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right

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verb

Synonym Chooser

How is the word right different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of right are accurate, correct, exact, nice, and precise. While all these words mean "conforming to fact, standard, or truth," right is close to correct but has a stronger positive emphasis on conformity to fact or truth rather than mere absence of error or fault.

the right thing to do

In what contexts can accurate take the place of right?

While in some cases nearly identical to right, accurate implies fidelity to fact or truth attained by exercise of care.

an accurate description

When is it sensible to use correct instead of right?

The synonyms correct and right are sometimes interchangeable, but correct usually implies freedom from fault or error.

correct answers
socially correct dress

When might exact be a better fit than right?

In some situations, the words exact and right are roughly equivalent. However, exact stresses a very strict agreement with fact, standard, or truth.

exact measurements

When could nice be used to replace right?

While the synonyms nice and right are close in meaning, nice stresses great precision and delicacy of adjustment or discrimination.

makes nice distinctions

How are the words precise and exact related as synonyms of right?

Precise adds to exact an emphasis on sharpness of definition or delimitation.

precise calibration

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 right
Noun
Without a clear editorial mission and a bold plan to rebuild reader loyalty, the fact of the matter is that even a paper as storied as The Washington Post won’t be able to successfully right the ship — and avoid the inevitable. Andy Meek, Forbes.com, 28 June 2025 Some of us cling to the thought of righting things again in the future — truly making American values a source of pride and leadership that bring respect and calm to ourselves and each other. Chicago Tribune, 23 June 2025
Adjective
Connecticut and 25 other states filed a lawsuit Monday to force the federal government to release $6.8 billion in education funds that states say the Donald J. Trump administration has no right to withhold. Emilia Otte, Hartford Courant, 15 July 2025 The other issue in the briefs centered on the Supreme Court’s decision in the Medina case restricting Medicaid beneficiaries from suing states for allegedly violating rights. Jim Saunders, Sun Sentinel, 14 July 2025
Adverb
The point is to prove that the physicists were right: time is elastic. Guy Trebay, Travel + Leisure, 15 July 2025 The threat of 100% secondary tariffs alongside the bipartisan Graham-Blumenthal sanctions bill that targets Russian oil sales are the right targets. Daniel Fried, Time, 15 July 2025
Verb
Read more: Vikings' Justin Jefferson Sends Clear Message to JJ McCarthy With training camp right around the corner, Sanders took to social media to send a cryptic three-word message. Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 July 2025 Named for the patron saint of Paris, the 122-room property has a banana-yellow market called the Mini Marché, rooms that hint at Parisian style, and a live jazz club where Josephine Baker would fit right in. AFAR Media, 14 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for right
Recent Examples of Synonyms for right
Noun
  • Possessing a green card is a privilege, not a right.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 18 July 2025
  • Health systems and clinicians: Make culturally responsive supportive care a standard, not a privilege.
    Essence, Essence, 18 July 2025
Noun
  • Arguably, the most famous sub-Neptune is K2-18b, an exoplanet which recently made global headlines due to the claim that dimethyl sulfide had been detected in its atmosphere.
    Bruce Dorminey, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025
  • Gately eventually sued Measures in small claims court, and won, but has not been able to get the funds from Measures.
    Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 15 July 2025
Noun
  • Last month, in a case challenging a popular provision of the Affordable Care Act, the justices upheld the constitutionality of the task force, which recommends preventive health care services that insurers must cover at no cost.
    Katherine Dillinger, CNN Money, 26 July 2025
  • Opposition parties have since stymied Lai's agenda, refusing to approve constitutional court justices, slashing spending, and cutting defense budgets.
    Jan Camenzind Broomby, NPR, 26 July 2025
Adjective
  • This was certainly true of the Mets last summer when Taylor played his way into the lineup more consistently than Harrison Bader.
    Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 26 July 2025
  • This rings especially true for me, a vegetarian for nearly two decades.
    Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 26 July 2025
Adjective
  • Oreo Puffs cereal is made with real Oreo cookie wafers, according to Post Consumer Brands, that are crunchy and chocolatey spheres along with marshmallows.
    Susan Selasky, Freep.com, 22 July 2025
  • Explore the challenges of bringing Stitch into the real world, how the familiar images of the original were recreated, and join returning cast members on a set that embodies ‘ohana.
    Alexis Simmerman, Austin American Statesman, 22 July 2025
Adjective
  • Those who bet on Shohei Ohtani to get the first hit of the game were correct.
    Bernie Pleskoff, Forbes.com, 16 July 2025
  • Even if this prediction turns out to be correct, though, the economy will have lagged behind during the first half of the year.
    John Cassidy, New Yorker, 14 July 2025
Adjective
  • But there’s another aspect of military life that rarely gets deserved attention: the relentless cycle of relocation.
    William Jones, USA Today, 25 July 2025
  • More Antonio Masiello/Getty Images Regarding that deserved disrepute, the specifics of this new raid are startling.
    Steve Cortes, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 July 2025
Adjective
  • Our leadership spends its time implying anyone with origins south of our border is less than honorable and must be deported regardless of their contributions, just to feel powerful.
    Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 10 July 2025
  • Michael Roth, the president of Wesleyan University in Connecticut, has taken the harder and more honorable route.
    John T. Shaw, Twin Cities, 10 July 2025

Cite this Entry

“Right.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/right. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.

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