as in hesitantly
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Recent Examples of reluctantly
Inspired by the 1989 horror-comedy film of the same name (which starred Tom Hanks) and set in present-day suburbia, The 'Burbs follows a young couple who have reluctantly relocated to the husband’s childhood home.
—
Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 1 Feb. 2026
Golden reluctantly took a victory lap.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 Feb. 2026
Yes, Fassaert responds, somewhat reluctantly.
—Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 30 Jan. 2026
Struggling actor Simon Williams (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) stumbles into the superhero world when a government agent targets the reluctantly powered loner.
—Tiffany Kelly, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for reluctantly
Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 1 Feb. 2026
Golden reluctantly took a victory lap.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 Feb. 2026
Yes, Fassaert responds, somewhat reluctantly.
—Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 30 Jan. 2026
Struggling actor Simon Williams (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) stumbles into the superhero world when a government agent targets the reluctantly powered loner.
—Tiffany Kelly, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for reluctantly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reluctantly
Adverb
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The show has dipped its toe hesitantly into matters of equity and social stratification this season with mixed results.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
29 Jan. 2026
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As Garfield hesitantly moves forward with his campaign, he is forced to align with Chester Arthur (Nick Offerman), who unexpectedly becomes his running mate, and with the domineering but highly influential Senator Roscoe Conkling (Shea Whigham).—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
6 Nov. 2025
Adverb
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Those who came under suspicion were taken unwillingly to a military hospital in Pretoria, cut off from their families, and subjected to electric shocks.—
Eve Fairbanks,
The Dial,
27 Jan. 2026
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By the end of film, Lough somewhat unwillingly parts ways with SamBot—handing over the chatbot to Altman via tech journalist Kara Swisher—after pressure from producers worried about the legal risks of holding onto the deepfake.—
Beatrice Nolan,
Fortune,
16 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Reluctantly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reluctantly. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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