as in very
happening in the real world rather than in a story
real-life problems a real-life drama
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 real-life
There is one spinoff idea that the show’s last episodes seemed to be setting up: Jackie rejoined the police force and her adversary at the force is another cop — one played by Metcalf’s real-life daughter, Zoe Perry.
—
Rosemary Rossi, Variety, 24 Apr. 2025
Then a friend directed her to the real-life story of Molly Bloom, who ran afoul of the law for organizing underground poker games after her Olympic dreams were ruined by a skiing injury.
—Guillermo Perez, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2025
Bronte guesses that Joe and Kate’s real-life romance-novel trope grumpy/sunshine (or maybe grumpy/grumpy).
—Sara Netzley, EW.com, 24 Apr. 2025
Dube’s credits include Netflix action thriller Silverton Siege, inspired by the real-life incident that sparked the Free Mandela movement, and Heart Of The Hunter, based on Deon Meyer’s best-selling novel that was the first African feature to debut at number one on Netflix’s global charts.
—Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 10 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for real-life
Rosemary Rossi, Variety, 24 Apr. 2025
Then a friend directed her to the real-life story of Molly Bloom, who ran afoul of the law for organizing underground poker games after her Olympic dreams were ruined by a skiing injury.
—Guillermo Perez, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2025
Bronte guesses that Joe and Kate’s real-life romance-novel trope grumpy/sunshine (or maybe grumpy/grumpy).
—Sara Netzley, EW.com, 24 Apr. 2025
Dube’s credits include Netflix action thriller Silverton Siege, inspired by the real-life incident that sparked the Free Mandela movement, and Heart Of The Hunter, based on Deon Meyer’s best-selling novel that was the first African feature to debut at number one on Netflix’s global charts.
—Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 10 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for real-life
Recent Examples of Synonyms for real-life
Adjective
-
But in all seriousness, that’s to say, P-town has long been the summertime hot spot for weirdos and (yes, largely cis) gay revelry on the very tip of Cape Cod.—
JD Shadel,
Them.,
21 Apr. 2025
-
Their mental models, goals, mindsets, values, narratives, and purposes were the very things that scientific management had dismissed in principle.—
Steve Denning,
Forbes.com,
20 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Golden State shuts down Jalen Green Game 4 was marred by a myriad of skirmishes, which detracted from the actual basketball to some degree, but the Warriors’ pressure on Jalen Green — and how the Rockets responded — will ultimately determine how the rest of this series plays out.—
Anthony Slater,
New York Times,
29 Apr. 2025
-
The mostly instrumental project kicks off its time at No. 37 on the Official Soundtrack Albums chart, joining the actual soundtrack inside the top 40.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
29 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Backed by history, polling, and real-world data, these victories show the political winds have shifted, and rural voters are leading the charge for educational opportunity.—
Corey DeAngelis,
National Review,
27 Apr. 2025
-
Health and Human Services denies creating an autism registry amid privacy concerns An HSS official told USA TODAY that the department is not creating an autism registry, but is pursuing the real-world data platform to support research into the causes of autism and treatments.—
Kinsey Crowley,
USA Today,
26 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Washington has repeatedly threatened to abandon its peace efforts unless there is real progress.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2025
-
And Gandolfini was right: The series almost wasn’t cast authentically with real Italian actors.—
Samantha Bergeson,
IndieWire,
28 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Today’s sentence is the culmination of justice, but this is not the final chapter of Kyhara’s life story.—
Nicholas Williams,
New York Daily News,
24 Apr. 2025
-
The Yorktown's final resting place wasn't discovered until a 1998 expedition found it about 1,000 miles northwest of Honolulu.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
24 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
But authentic, demonstrable progress: proof of better outcomes, built on real expertise.—
Kate Hardcastle,
Forbes.com,
27 Apr. 2025
-
While the filling is made of microfiber, the material mimics both the fluffiness and warmth of authentic down.—
Megan Schaltegger,
People.com,
27 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Further, the lid to the machine is a bona fide pain to get on and off, requiring a precise lining up of notches and two hands to wrench it open or closed.—
Kat Merck,
Wired News,
22 Apr. 2025
-
And what does the future hold for a bona fide Premier League legend who’s moving on this summer?—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
21 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Real-life.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/real-life. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share