1
as in honestly
to tell the truth
actually, I'd rather spend the evening at home
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in really
in actual fact
I call her Aunt Emily, but she is actually my cousin, not my aunt
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of actually
However, many of the menu choices go beyond checking on security, attempting to actually provide elements of antivirus protection.
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PCMAG, 7 Nov. 2024
The devastation that wiped out the dinosaurs created ideal conditions for various fungi to thrive, and ants actually began to cultivate fungi.
—Popular Science Staff, Popular Science, 6 Nov. 2024
All of this excitement may tempt you to place some bets on what will happen — but is that actually a good idea?
—Becca Stanek, theweek, 6 Nov. 2024
There were plenty of Statehouse districts with elections this year, but relatively few of them were actually competitive.
—Kayla Dwyer, The Indianapolis Star, 6 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for actually 
PCMAG, 7 Nov. 2024
The devastation that wiped out the dinosaurs created ideal conditions for various fungi to thrive, and ants actually began to cultivate fungi.
—Popular Science Staff, Popular Science, 6 Nov. 2024
All of this excitement may tempt you to place some bets on what will happen — but is that actually a good idea?
—Becca Stanek, theweek, 6 Nov. 2024
There were plenty of Statehouse districts with elections this year, but relatively few of them were actually competitive.
—Kayla Dwyer, The Indianapolis Star, 6 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for actually
Recent Examples of Synonyms for actually
Adverb
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His chances of a pardon are, honestly, pretty good.Victoria Bekiempis, Vulture, 12 Nov. 2024
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What happened during Covid is, honestly, a little bit too much online shopping.Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 5 Nov. 2024
Adverb
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So is Newsom really positioning himself for a presidential run?Dan Walters, Orange County Register, 9 Nov. 2024
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Or, to be more direct: Do the Niners really believe that’s what’s in store for them in the second half?Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 9 Nov. 2024
Adverb
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In our 248 years, the majority of our leadership has been white and male and, frankly, affluent.Marianne Schnall, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024
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Women and ‘time poverty’ The reality is that many of us are forced to leave mid-career or stop scaling our businesses because juggling parenting and working full-time is exhausting, stressful and, frankly, impossible.Blessing Adesiyan, Fortune, 29 Oct. 2024
Adverb
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That gives us very little clarity as to who the Best New Artist front-runner is.Justin Curto, Vulture, 8 Nov. 2024
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Here’s the latest: Ventura County’s Mountain Fire expanded in size on Wednesday after powerful Santa Ana winds came into contact with very dry air.CNN.com, The Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2024
Adverb
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If Trump is indeed a fascist and a threat to American democracy, how could this be?The Editorial Board, Orange County Register, 14 Nov. 2024
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In testing, the Landscape Mixer did indeed give the foliage fall colors.PCMAG, PCMAG, 12 Nov. 2024
Adverb
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The winning combination of range and affordability is truly extraordinary for a fully electric crossover of this caliber, and Chevy’s Equinox has now overtaken Cadillac’s Lyriq as GM’s top-selling EV.Peter Douglas, The Mercury News, 10 Nov. 2024
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In an emergency stop, the Vanquish’s Brembo carbon ceramic brakes halt progress from 100 kph (62 mph) in less than 30 meters (98.4 feet), a common European benchmark for truly superlative braking.Dan Carney, Popular Science, 7 Nov. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Actually.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/actually. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
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