1
as in lethal
likely to cause or capable of causing death
the doctors were alarmed about the outbreak of the deadly new virus
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sheer
having no exceptions or restrictions
the deadly tedium of waiting for the fog to lift
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in mortal
of, relating to, or suggestive of death
a deadly pallor spread across her face as the tragic news gradually sank in
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in extremely
to a great degree
I'm deadly serious about making an offer on the house
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of deadly
Charlie Campbell, Time, 15 Sep. 2025
Rock jetties can be deadly in such conditions, stay off the rocks.
—Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2025
Punk is urban, decadent, and indifferent; hardcore is suburban, disciplined, and deadly earnest.
—Chris R. Morgan, The Washington Examiner, 22 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deadly
Adjective
Until 2023, populist parties Thaksin backed had won every election since 2001 only to be repeatedly ousted by judicial and military coups—turmoil punctuated by often deadly street protests.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 15 Sep. 2025
Rock jetties can be deadly in such conditions, stay off the rocks.
—Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Adverb
Swatting emerged as a popular if potentially deadly hoax among gamers in the early 2000s, according to researchers at the Anti-Defamation League.
—Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2025
Punk is urban, decadent, and indifferent; hardcore is suburban, disciplined, and deadly earnest.
—Chris R. Morgan, The Washington Examiner, 22 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deadly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deadly
Adjective
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Advocacy groups have also raised concerns, noting Arizona's troubled history with executions, including a series of botched lethal injections that led to an eight-year pause before the state resumed the practice in 2022.—
Alia Shoaib,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Sep. 2025
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For children with sepsis, a potentially lethal reaction by the body to infection that causes 20% of deaths worldwide, the wait can prove deadly.—
Brian Simpson,
NPR,
19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The strapless corset gown had a sheer illusion jacket embellished with pearls, and was paired with a cathedral veil.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
PEOPLE,
16 Sep. 2025
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Clad in a chain-mail dress with sheer stripes and waist-length hair, Wilson's appearance during the Chris Habana show was greeted with raucous applause.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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What makes some souls linger on Earth, long after their mortal lives have ended?—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
19 Sep. 2025
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But as the Chiefs continue to look somewhere between mortal and vulnerable since reaching five of the last six Super Bowls, Kelce’s day in some ways epitomizes that.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
15 Sep. 2025
Adverb
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This shift would prove extremely successful in bolstering Turning Point’s reputation.—
Lily Mae Lazarus,
Fortune,
20 Sep. 2025
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Smart cities are an enticing target for adversaries, ranging from cybercriminals to nation-state actors, since the consequences of a successful hack may be widespread and extremely disruptive to daily life.—
Chuck Brooks,
Forbes.com,
19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Prepared Social Feed Posts Automation promises efficiency but can’t accommodate nuance, context or situational changes that a human would change course for (think competitive move, environmental crisis, fatal tragedy, and so on).—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
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Jimmy Kimmel's late-night talk show was suspended indefinitely following the host's comments on the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
17 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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These include the New York City Bridge Project, which provided unconditional cash support to low-income mothers, and the Chicago Resilient Communities Pilot, which gave 5,000 households a monthly stipend of $500 for 12 months.—
Hugh Cameron,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Sep. 2025
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In the clip, Saúl sat with one of his father’s WBC belts draped proudly over his shoulder while Canelo spoke about unconditional support.—
Nasha Smith,
PEOPLE,
13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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There were flies in the kitchen and dead bugs in a utility sink.—
Eleanor Nash,
Kansas City Star,
14 Sep. 2025
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Fine dead fuels throughout the fire area hit moistures of extinction while the heavy dead and down continued to smolder.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
14 Sep. 2025
Adverb
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Despite their incredibly unique look, quaggas were once very common across various grasslands in South Africa.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
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From Chincoteague's swimming ponies to Kemp's ridley sea turtle hatchlings on South Padre Island, Texas, witnessing wildlife in its natural state is an incredibly special experience.—
Alexandra Emanuelli,
Southern Living,
18 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Deadly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deadly. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
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