1
as in just
as stated or indicated without the slightest difference
we will meet at exactly six o'clock
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
3
as in directly
in the same words
a plagiarism suit alleging that one historian had copied large segments of another's text exactly
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in strictly
without any relaxation of standards or precision
follow the rules exactly and you won't get into trouble
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in quite
to a full extent or degree
she listened to the advice, then did exactly what she wanted to anyway
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in okay
used to express agreement
"Are you calling me a liar?" "Exactly."
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 exactly
And that was exactly what Davidovich Fokina felt about his Monte Carlo Masters win over Britain’s Jack Draper on Thursday.
—
Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
To take something so tragic and turn it into something positive, which is exactly what Aaron would want.
—Christina Dugan Ramirez, FOXNews.com, 14 Apr. 2025
Lada-atomization is exactly what happened when a Russian regiment attacked a few miles south of Pokrovsk on March 19.
—David Axe, Forbes.com, 31 Mar. 2025
And how exactly does that work, with Highsmith with the longer Heat tenure, but Mitchell with more games of NBA experience?
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 31 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for exactly
Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
To take something so tragic and turn it into something positive, which is exactly what Aaron would want.
—Christina Dugan Ramirez, FOXNews.com, 14 Apr. 2025
Lada-atomization is exactly what happened when a Russian regiment attacked a few miles south of Pokrovsk on March 19.
—David Axe, Forbes.com, 31 Mar. 2025
And how exactly does that work, with Highsmith with the longer Heat tenure, but Mitchell with more games of NBA experience?
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 31 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for exactly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exactly
Adverb
-
By episode 2, the former Fireflies make it to an area just outside Jackson and see how heavily fortified the city is.—
Eliana Dockterman,
Time,
21 Apr. 2025
-
But the Heat then scored just 21 points while shooting 1 of 6 (16.7 percent) on threes in the fourth quarter.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
21 Apr. 2025
Adverb
-
Yet Bar’s professional record is precisely what makes the repetition of the word refuse in his affidavit a model for other state officials—in Israel, the United States, and other democracies under threat.—
Gershom Gorenberg,
The Atlantic,
25 Apr. 2025
-
What, precisely, turns one random guy into a saint?—
Jason Farago,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2025
Adverb
-
But neither directly addressed a link between GLP-1 drugs and an altered sense of smell.—
Kara Nesvig,
Allure,
17 Apr. 2025
-
Small business owners like Lin say that even if their services aren’t impacted by tariffs recently announced by the Trump administration directly, consumers’ anxiety about the economy could hit their bottom line.—
Jennifer Liu,
CNBC,
17 Apr. 2025
Adverb
-
So there’s a mutual agreement between the two, or mutual benefits, that are quite tolerable—or even pleasurable.—
Mark Holgate,
Vogue,
15 Apr. 2025
-
Crow-Armstrong didn’t quite go along with that theory, but his confidence is obvious.—
Patrick Mooney,
New York Times,
14 Apr. 2025
Adverb
-
In the 19th and early 20th centuries, classically minded visitors to Rome looked right past his paintings.—
Jason Farago,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2025
-
Read our testing and scoring criteria below or skip right to our list.—
Jake Henry Smith,
Glamour,
25 Apr. 2025
Adverb
-
Robinson’s brand of middle-class psycho surrealism works perfectly in bite-size sketch-comedy doses.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
24 Apr. 2025
-
The popular style is all about big and chunky belts, so this set of three woven ones fits the bill perfectly.—
Michelle Tchea,
Travel + Leisure,
24 Apr. 2025
Adverb
-
Jake Locker, drafted by Mike Reinfeldt in 2011, couldn’t stay healthy or throw accurately.—
Joe Rexrode,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2025
-
But the full implications of those cuts for the nation’s ability to accurately interpret dynamic changes in the planet’s weather and to predict long-term warming scenarios through its modeling arm in Princeton have not.—
Abrahm Lustgarten,
ProPublica,
24 Apr. 2025
Adverb
-
If Ward, Sanders, and Dart are all off the board when the Steelers come up, the team could get desperate.—
Ross Rosenfeld,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Apr. 2025
-
Or, as Dries put it, was all about paying attention.—
Brett Braley,
Robb Report,
23 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Exactly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exactly. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share