sure-enough

1 of 2

adjective

sure enough

2 of 2

adverb

: as one might expect : certainly

Examples of sure-enough in a Sentence

Adjective a sure-enough ghost town that is a relic of the gold rush days the inventor showed that he did have a sure-enough death ray
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Adverb
American growth and opportunity in times like 1836-61 and 1865-1913—and even, sure enough, 1811-12—was epic. Brian Domitrovic, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025 And sure enough, a bear strolled out of the woods one evening a few hundred yards from our tent and wandered down to the shore. Alex Hutchinson, Outside, 10 Sep. 2025 And sure enough, Hurricane Erin formed and then exploded into a Category 5 storm, albeit one that predominantly stayed over the ocean. Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 10 Sep. 2025 But instead of scanning the can's barcode, Dew whipped out her upper forearm and scanned her tattoo instead — and sure enough, the sale went through. Rachel Raposas, People.com, 13 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for sure-enough

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1846, in the meaning defined above

Adverb

circa 1545, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sure-enough was circa 1545

Browse Nearby Words

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sure-enough.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sure-enough. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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