1
as in lethal
likely to cause or capable of causing death
the doctors were alarmed about the outbreak of the deadly new virus
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sheer
having no exceptions or restrictions
the deadly tedium of waiting for the fog to lift
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3
as in mortal
of, relating to, or suggestive of death
a deadly pallor spread across her face as the tragic news gradually sank in
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as in extremely
to a great degree
I'm deadly serious about making an offer on the house
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of deadly
Ethan Baron, Mercury News, 7 Jan. 2026
Western provinces—including Ilam, Kermanshah, Lorestan, and Hamedan—have seen the deadliest clashes so far, according to Kurdish-Iranian rights group Hengaw, which says those regions account for a majority of fatalities.
—Connor Greene, Time, 7 Jan. 2026
Sara Holdren, Vulture, 4 Dec. 2025
Fentanyl is a deadly synthetic opioid that’s pressed into counterfeit pills or mixed into heroin, cocaine and other street drugs.
—Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 4 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deadly
Adjective
In 2020, the utility pleaded guilty to 84 counts of involuntary manslaughter after a transmission-line failure caused the deadly 2018 Camp Fire that razed Paradise in Butte County.
—Adverb
Music Box Theatre The theater’s big deployers of expensive live-feed scenography tend to be self-serious — which is one of many reasons that Kip Williams’s camera-happy adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s still deadly clever novella came as such a delight.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for deadly
Adjective
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The blackout slashed internet access to a fraction of normal levels on the 13th day of the protests as rights groups, including Amensty International, accused the regime of using lethal force against protesters.—
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An 11-week-old baby died in 2024 in Lakewood because a bottle of baby formula fed to him was contaminated with lethal amounts of methamphetamine.—
Adjective
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The Rhode founder stunned in a sheer black mesh teddy with a G-string thong design and an ab-baring cutout made out of straps.—
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But the department has argued the sheer volume of documents that need to be found, uploaded, reviewed, redacted and published has forced it to instead release the files online on a rolling basis, with a series of enormous document dumps over the course of several days in mid-December.—
Adjective
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ABC's eight-season classic flew Elizabeth Montgomery to fame as Samantha, a witch who marries mortal Darren (Dick York, later replaced by Dick Sargent) despite the disapproval of her all-powerful mother (Agnes Moorehead).—
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Look, there is no national security expert saying that Venezuela was a mortal threat to the United States three weeks ago.—
Adverb
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The first indicator is oftentimes a lack of water flow from faucets when the weather is extremely cold.—
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Skeeter, 36, serves as the Hornets’ player development coach and is also the primary person who works extremely closely with star guard LaMelo Ball.—
Adjective
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Several hundred protesters gathered at First Ward Park on Thursday night in response to Wednesday’s fatal shooting of a woman in Minneapolis by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent.—
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John Mulaney has postponed three upcoming shows in Minneapolis following the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer.—
Adjective
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The Hour of the Wolf is a far-ranging memoir about motherhood, art, family, and the way that a dog’s unconditional love can offer a rare opportunity for healing.—
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The state recently launched a project providing unconditional monthly checks — averaging $500 — to families who have abused or neglected their children.—
Adjective
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The cemetery of good but dead laws is infinite; the main thing is that social forces exist.—
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These ghosts, which take the form of their dead friends, are mostly just goofy, with the shoddy special effects and glowy auras giving the whole thing a distinctly Haunted Mansion vibe; critically, the threat never feels real, which undermines any tension.—
Adverb
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The pork was incredibly tender and juicy, with a bold but balanced mix of spices that didn’t overpower each other.—
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These kind of creative environments are so incredibly inspiring to me.—
Cite this Entry
“Deadly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deadly. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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