as in universally
across a large area, group, or range
Originally invented in the United States, baseball is now a widely played sport around the world.
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Recent Examples of widely
Unfortunately, traumatic stress that develops while observing and listening to traumatized students has not been widely publicized and often is confused with burnout.
—
Bruce Plopper, Washington Post, 10 Feb. 2026
While the term is widely used, much of what is marketed as kohl bears little resemblance to its traditional counterpart.
—Amelia Dhuga, Vogue, 10 Feb. 2026
Gonzalez is widely considered one of the best cornerbacks in the league at just 23 years old with a Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro honor on his resume.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 10 Feb. 2026
The contours of the White House's offer weren't immediately widely known among lawmakers.
—Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for widely
Bruce Plopper, Washington Post, 10 Feb. 2026
While the term is widely used, much of what is marketed as kohl bears little resemblance to its traditional counterpart.
—Amelia Dhuga, Vogue, 10 Feb. 2026
Gonzalez is widely considered one of the best cornerbacks in the league at just 23 years old with a Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro honor on his resume.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 10 Feb. 2026
The contours of the White House's offer weren't immediately widely known among lawmakers.
—Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for widely
Recent Examples of Synonyms for widely
Adverb
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And in 2025, to celebrate the Air Max 95’s 30th anniversary, Nike went all-in with a true-to-OG Big Bubble redesign, which has been universally praised by industry insiders and consumers alike.—
Riley Jones,
Footwear News,
14 Feb. 2026
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The quadruple Axel is universally regarded as the toughest of the six quad jumps in figure skating.—
Hanna Wickes,
Kansas City Star,
13 Feb. 2026
Adverb
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The coffee association says its surveys show coffee consumption is broadly holding steady despite price hikes.—
Matt Sedensky,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Feb. 2026
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That flexibility extends to the independent sector more broadly.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
13 Feb. 2026
Adverb
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Person, who first rose to national prominence as a leading MTV VJ between 1995 and 2011, worked extensively as a presenter in Brazilian television before dedicating herself to directing.—
Rafa Sales Ross,
Variety,
13 Feb. 2026
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Andrew Sargis said his staff at the Wendella train for this extensively.—
Sara Tenenbaum,
CBS News,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Widely.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/widely. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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