1
as in humbly
in a manner showing no signs of pride or self-assertion
spoke modestly about his accomplishments as an entrepreneur
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in innocently
with purity of thought and deed
dressed modestly to go to church
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of modestly
In practical terms, consolidation means prices may pause, move sideways, or pull back modestly after a strong rally, rather than continuing to see a linear rise.
—
Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 30 Jan. 2026
Bloys would not comment on any of the alleged GoT development projects but indicated that the success of the smaller-scale, modestly budgeted A Knight of the Seven Kingdom is informing their development strategy.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 30 Jan. 2026
One example is to dress modestly, covering most of her skin.
—Rachel Royster
january 30, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Jan. 2026
That shift happened even when the mice exercised modestly.
—Avi Patel, Hartford Courant, 30 Jan. 2026
The movie was critically panned but did modestly well at the box office, a template that more or less defines the Ratner experience.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 30 Jan. 2026
Applications for unemployment benefits inched down modestly last week, remaining at historically healthy levels despite recent high-profile layoff announcements.
—Matt Ott, Los Angeles Times, 29 Jan. 2026
The law cut taxes on tips and overtime, modestly increased the child tax credit, created new tax deductions for some seniors and for interest on auto loans, and significantly hiked the maximum SALT deduction for state and local taxes.
—Howard Gleckman, Forbes.com, 28 Jan. 2026
The renovation started modestly with paint and new floors, but the owners soon tackled more ambitious projects.
—Sara B. Hansen, Denver Post, 24 Jan. 2026
Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 30 Jan. 2026
Bloys would not comment on any of the alleged GoT development projects but indicated that the success of the smaller-scale, modestly budgeted A Knight of the Seven Kingdom is informing their development strategy.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 30 Jan. 2026
One example is to dress modestly, covering most of her skin.
—Rachel Royster
january 30, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Jan. 2026
That shift happened even when the mice exercised modestly.
—Avi Patel, Hartford Courant, 30 Jan. 2026
The movie was critically panned but did modestly well at the box office, a template that more or less defines the Ratner experience.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 30 Jan. 2026
Applications for unemployment benefits inched down modestly last week, remaining at historically healthy levels despite recent high-profile layoff announcements.
—Matt Ott, Los Angeles Times, 29 Jan. 2026
The law cut taxes on tips and overtime, modestly increased the child tax credit, created new tax deductions for some seniors and for interest on auto loans, and significantly hiked the maximum SALT deduction for state and local taxes.
—Howard Gleckman, Forbes.com, 28 Jan. 2026
The renovation started modestly with paint and new floors, but the owners soon tackled more ambitious projects.
—Sara B. Hansen, Denver Post, 24 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for modestly
Adverb
-
The drive The test took place humbly in downtown Los Angeles, mostly – no race tracks or solo three-lane highway sojourns.—
Josh Max,
Forbes.com,
16 Jan. 2026
-
Theirs started humbly, and a bit unexpectedly.—
Stephanie Breijo,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
The story starts innocently enough.—
Sergio Pereira,
Space.com,
15 Jan. 2026
-
What began as innocently wagering ten or twenty bucks on games escalated to putting $5,000 on long-shot parlays, day after day.—
Vanity Fair,
Vanity Fair,
12 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
What behaves politely in one climate or situation can become problematic in another, such as a garden abutting an open landscape.—
Erica Browne Grivas,
Better Homes & Gardens,
20 Jan. 2026
-
Beckford later asked politely to try on my jacket—a black Double RL officer’s coat from the 90 —and noticed the tags and buttons of a bygone era.—
Zachary Weiss,
Vanity Fair,
18 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
Shields, 62, sheepishly joked after two false starts.—
Jazz Monroe,
Pitchfork,
28 Nov. 2025
-
An engineer with a litter-picker grabbed the fallen cloth and sheepishly moved it behind the machine, out of my line of sight.—
Billy Perrigo,
Time,
14 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
Softened butter is also crucial for making smooth frostings, as cold butter will not emulsify properly and will lead to clumpy results (this is true of cake batters, too).—
Molly Allen,
Southern Living,
1 Feb. 2026
-
Evidence gathered by department investigators showed that deputies at that jail had not been properly trained to do mandatory security checks.—
Christopher Damien,
USA Today,
1 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
Princess Bride is superbly planned and deferentially orchestrated — its theme fits its telling.—
Duane Byrge,
HollywoodReporter,
25 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
Price competition will be aggressive, margins will be under pressure, and differentiation based purely on scale or cost will continue to erode.—
Peter Bendor-Samuel,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
These individual mats differ from the main mahjong mat and are purely meant to make gameplay easier—providing a smooth, flat surface that helps reduce noise and protect the tiles and the table underneath.—
Cori Sears,
Better Homes & Gardens,
29 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
Moreover, the notion the public will meekly accept weaker radiation standards without explanation seems foolhardy.—
Katy Huff,
Scientific American,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Ball handlers would dribble close to the basket, only to meekly back away, sensing him looming.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
17 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Modestly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/modestly. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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