as in strictly
without any relaxation of standards or precision
the judge stuck rigidly to the letter of the law
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Recent Examples of rigidly
Director David Anspaugh, whose resume includes small-town basketball tale Hoosiers and against-all-odds college football biopic Rudy, sticks rigidly to his sporting underdog formula, only skimming the surface of the David-versus-Goliath encounter.
—
Jon O'Brien,
Vulture,
26 June 2026
The Hurricanes play a rigidly structured brand of hockey that makes the game easier to read and anticipate for the goaltender.
—
Jesse Granger,
New York Times,
25 June 2026
North Korea remains a close ally, rigidly committed to traditional communist tyranny.
—
Arthur I. Cyr,
Chicago Tribune,
10 June 2026
Rudd’s natural air of genial tension, of neurosis without an edge, plays into his character’s rigidly disciplined but relentlessly upbeat domesticity.
—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
29 May 2026
Each focuses on the love stories of specific couples, but while the show doesn’t follow the books’ format rigidly, all the beloved characters are present.
—
Jennifer McClellan,
USA Today,
17 May 2026
In China's rigidly hierarchical world of diplomacy, protocol and ceremony carry weight.
—
ABC News,
12 May 2026
Magyar’s campaign has been rigidly domestic.
—
Christian Edwards,
CNN Money,
12 Apr. 2026
Now, when a ball-strike call is challenged, the strike zone will be rigidly defined based on a batter’s height.
—
Juliette Arcodia,
NBC news,
24 Mar. 2026
Jon O'Brien,
Vulture,
26 June 2026
The Hurricanes play a rigidly structured brand of hockey that makes the game easier to read and anticipate for the goaltender.
—
Jesse Granger,
New York Times,
25 June 2026
North Korea remains a close ally, rigidly committed to traditional communist tyranny.
—
Arthur I. Cyr,
Chicago Tribune,
10 June 2026
Rudd’s natural air of genial tension, of neurosis without an edge, plays into his character’s rigidly disciplined but relentlessly upbeat domesticity.
—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
29 May 2026
Each focuses on the love stories of specific couples, but while the show doesn’t follow the books’ format rigidly, all the beloved characters are present.
—
Jennifer McClellan,
USA Today,
17 May 2026
In China's rigidly hierarchical world of diplomacy, protocol and ceremony carry weight.
—
ABC News,
12 May 2026
Magyar’s campaign has been rigidly domestic.
—
Christian Edwards,
CNN Money,
12 Apr. 2026
Now, when a ball-strike call is challenged, the strike zone will be rigidly defined based on a batter’s height.
—
Juliette Arcodia,
NBC news,
24 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rigidly
Adverb
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There are no strictly kiddie rides, and some rides, like the high-flying Swings Over Del Mar and Bello Bay Cruise will thrill any age.
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The Redken Symposium wasn’t all strictly business—in addition to the opening night kick off, there was a Redken Bash on the final evening.
Adverb
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Jennifer Storms, chief marketing officer for NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, said her team has carefully planned the timing of the spots to coincide with the burst of patriotism and celebration around America 250 events.
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That transition — from looking casually to carefully observing, first with powerful optics and then navigating with the naked eye — is what observational astronomy is all about.
Cite this Entry
“Rigidly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rigidly. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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