1
: in all sincerity : sincerely
truly sorry
—often used with yours as a complimentary close (as of a letter) or humorously to refer to oneself"Who's in charge here?" "Yours truly."
2
: in agreement with fact : truthfully
Is this poll truly representative?
3
4
: with exactness of construction or operation
5
: in a proper or suitable manner
Examples of truly in a Sentence
These truly dark clusters, if they are real, would betray the universe's dirty secret: Big piles of mass don't necessarily come with lights attached.
—
Robert Irion, Science, 20 June 2003
By the time Columbus arrived, truly large empires existed only in Mexico.
—Tim Flannery, New York Review of Books, 12 June 2003
The streets and sidewalks of Bedley Run truly seemed as much mine as any person's, their almost affirming solidity underfoot, bouncing me along on my diurnal way.
—Chang-rae Lee, A Gesture Life, 1999
I truly believe they can do it.
He truly enjoyed the concert.
This is truly a different situation.
A country is not truly democratic until all of its citizens can vote freely.
Is this poll truly representative of the voters' intentions?
Robert Irion, Science, 20 June 2003
By the time Columbus arrived, truly large empires existed only in Mexico.
—Tim Flannery, New York Review of Books, 12 June 2003
The streets and sidewalks of Bedley Run truly seemed as much mine as any person's, their almost affirming solidity underfoot, bouncing me along on my diurnal way.
—Chang-rae Lee, A Gesture Life, 1999
I truly believe they can do it.
He truly enjoyed the concert.
This is truly a different situation.
A country is not truly democratic until all of its citizens can vote freely.
Is this poll truly representative of the voters' intentions?
Recent Examples on the Web
Though the sedan and SUV were the lowest selling Tesla models in 2025, are the Model S and X electric vehicles truly deserving of the axe based on sales compared to other EVs?
—Charles Singh, USA Today, 10 Feb. 2026
To avoid this, think about which appliances truly need to be on the countertop and which can be stored in an accessible way.
—Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 10 Feb. 2026
Rosalía is truly la yugular this year, juggling promoting an album, going on tour, and starring on Euphoria.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 10 Feb. 2026
Both parties are missing the chance to offer reforms that would truly bring prices down and give younger voters hope.
—Neetu Arnold, Washington Post, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for truly
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Charles Singh, USA Today, 10 Feb. 2026
To avoid this, think about which appliances truly need to be on the countertop and which can be stored in an accessible way.
—Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 10 Feb. 2026
Rosalía is truly la yugular this year, juggling promoting an album, going on tour, and starring on Euphoria.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 10 Feb. 2026
Both parties are missing the chance to offer reforms that would truly bring prices down and give younger voters hope.
—Neetu Arnold, Washington Post, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for truly
Cite this Entry
“Truly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/truly. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
truly
adverb
tru·ly
ˈtrü-lē 
: in a true manner
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