exactly
adverb
ex·act·ly
ig-ˈzak-(t)lē 
1
a
: in a manner or measure or to a degree or number that strictly conforms to a fact or condition
It's exactly 3 o'clock.
these two pieces are exactly the same size
b
: in every respect : altogether, entirely
That was exactly the right thing to do.
not exactly what I had in mind
2
: quite so
—used to express agreement
"This is not worth the effort." "Exactly!"
Examples of exactly in a Sentence
The levers need to be exactly positioned.
we will meet at exactly six o'clock
Recent Examples on the Web
The chaos followed a memorial for Good and Pretti, which was hosted exactly one month from the date of Good's death at Powderhorn Park, roughly a 15-minute drive from the federal building.
—
Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 8 Feb. 2026
But the Patriots touched down first at San José Mineta International Airport on Sunday, almost exactly a week before kickoff.
—Cam Inman, Mercury News, 7 Feb. 2026
The Knicks are all banged-up, and a week’s worth of rest and recovery is exactly what the doctor ordered at Madison Square Garden.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 7 Feb. 2026
The iX model’s $100K+ base price tag is exactly what consumers have become accustomed to and what the luxury SUV market demands.
—Marc D Grasso, Hartford Courant, 7 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for exactly
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Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 8 Feb. 2026
But the Patriots touched down first at San José Mineta International Airport on Sunday, almost exactly a week before kickoff.
—Cam Inman, Mercury News, 7 Feb. 2026
The Knicks are all banged-up, and a week’s worth of rest and recovery is exactly what the doctor ordered at Madison Square Garden.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 7 Feb. 2026
The iX model’s $100K+ base price tag is exactly what consumers have become accustomed to and what the luxury SUV market demands.
—Marc D Grasso, Hartford Courant, 7 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for exactly
Cite this Entry
“Exactly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exactly. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
exactly
adverb
ex·act·ly
ig-ˈzak-(t)lē
1
a
: in an exact manner
do exactly as you're told
b
: so as to match fact or a state
at exactly three o'clock
exactly the same size
c
: in every way : altogether
that was exactly the wrong thing to do
not exactly what I had in mind
2
: quite so : just as you say
—used to express agreement
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