1
as in only
for nothing other than
the scholarships are awarded simply on the basis of merit uninterested in food, she eats simply to keep alive
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of simply
Instead of doing the hard work of seeking out difficult budget cuts, the board took the easy route and simply voted to increase its levy to the maximum allowed.
—
Chicago Tribune, 7 Jan. 2026
In extremely dense fog where visibility is near zero, the best course of action is to first turn on your hazard lights, then simply pull into a safe location such as a parking lot of a local business, and stop.
—Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 7 Jan. 2026
The drug-trafficking-as-armed-attack line simply doesn’t work—not as a justification for bombing fishing boats in international waters in the Caribbean, and not for invading a foreign country and kidnapping its president.
—Elie Mystal, Washington Post, 7 Jan. 2026
As a college student in Connecticut, I am told that working through college is simply part of the experience.
—Liam McCusker, Hartford Courant, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for simply
Recent Examples of Synonyms for simply
Adverb
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Not only is her delivery hilarious, but having Forest Whitaker’s daughter play an unabashed Hollywood nepo baby is a sly bit of meta casting that pays off big time here.—
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The novel draws on the harrowing testimony of survivors and asks questions not only about the conflicting goals of justice, truth and reconciliation, but also about how one lives with the knowledge of crimes against humanity.—
Adverb
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Residents near the park, located off David Drive in the Bonnie Brae neighborhood, said they were awakened just before midnight by gunfire and emergency sirens.—
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Designed to bridge the gap between automotive ease and aerospace innovation, the vehicle targets consumers looking for adventure rather than just urban commuting.—
Adverb
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In the Everglades, alligators and crocodiles coexist (and are seen regularly), and the flora and fauna are so robust that this national park was the first set aside purely for its biodiversity.—
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Ride-hailing dominance is eroding consumer brand perception Market dynamics show that ride-hailing operators prioritize vehicles that deliver the strongest cost-to-performance ratio, often selecting models purely on economic efficiency.—
Adverb
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At West Ham, Nuno has aligned himself with a club where the problems run so much deeper than merely trying to prevent the chilly fingers of relegation from closing round their neck.—
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But Huddleston disagreed, saying the charter governs spending money but doesn’t apply to merely appropriating it.—
Adverb
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Savard wasn’t solely to blame for the woes of the power play before that, but his dismissal seemed to release some tension.—
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Taken together, the findings suggest that fewer Americans may be drinking, but those who do may not be cutting back as dramatically as surveys focused solely on participation imply.—
Adverb
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The shooting is being investigated by the FBI exclusively.—
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The actress also reflected on her role ahead of the 50th anniversary while speaking exclusively to Entertainment Weekly in February 2025.—
Cite this Entry
“Simply.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/simply. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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