as in else
in a different way
the candidate was gracious in his defeat, though he clearly wished the election had gone otherwise
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Recent Examples of otherwise
The otherwise-straightforward recipe involves stirring ingredients together and popping your casserole in the oven to bake.
—
Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 15 Feb. 2026
That builds on similar trends throughout 2025, when the industry buoyed an otherwise slow labor market, as the nation’s hospitals, clinics and nursing homes kept hiring even as many employers pulled back.
—Abha Bhattarai, Washington Post, 14 Feb. 2026
For decades, California governors have relied on nonprofits to pick up the tab for official travel, diplomatic events and other costs that would otherwise be paid with taxpayer funds.
—Melody Gutierrez, Los Angeles Times, 14 Feb. 2026
For portfolio companies, continuity of ownership can preserve strategic momentum, management relationships, and long-term planning that might otherwise be disrupted by a full change of control.
—Sunaina Sinha Haldea, Fortune, 14 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for otherwise
Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 15 Feb. 2026
That builds on similar trends throughout 2025, when the industry buoyed an otherwise slow labor market, as the nation’s hospitals, clinics and nursing homes kept hiring even as many employers pulled back.
—Abha Bhattarai, Washington Post, 14 Feb. 2026
For decades, California governors have relied on nonprofits to pick up the tab for official travel, diplomatic events and other costs that would otherwise be paid with taxpayer funds.
—Melody Gutierrez, Los Angeles Times, 14 Feb. 2026
For portfolio companies, continuity of ownership can preserve strategic momentum, management relationships, and long-term planning that might otherwise be disrupted by a full change of control.
—Sunaina Sinha Haldea, Fortune, 14 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for otherwise
Recent Examples of Synonyms for otherwise
Adverb
-
The nurses, teachers, soldiers and everyone else on her massage table, resting up to go at it again.—
Danielle Paquette The Washington Post,
Arkansas Online,
17 Feb. 2026
-
But our library’s youth section was stacked with American teen novels and not much else.—
Faith Karimi,
CNN Money,
17 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
Whole fruit, for example, behaves very differently than cookies or candy.—
Deirdre Bardolf,
FOXNews.com,
11 Feb. 2026
-
While the footprint on this ship remains consistent with Wish, most of the spaces on board have been themed differently.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Otherwise.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/otherwise. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.
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