1
as in quietly
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2
as in lightly
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Recent Examples of softly
Even with its unnecessary detours, Singing reaches this wild reverie in the end—a voice reclaimed to report, softly, from the fathomless depths of the human experience.
—
Linnie Greene, Pitchfork, 29 Apr. 2026
Sylvia, my copilot, snores softly.
—Literary Hub, 29 Apr. 2026
Start with tall bluebonnet stems on the left, fill the middle with medium-height ornamental onions, and finish the arrangement with softly drooping sweet peas on the right.
—Maria Sabella, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Apr. 2026
Wilson was softly spoken under cross-examination by Sue Chrysanthou, MacInnes’ barrister, during the hearing on Tuesday.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 28 Apr. 2026
Depending on the evening, dinner is served outside under the open sky or inside a softly glowing hoop house.
—Susmita Baral, Travel + Leisure, 26 Apr. 2026
Days begin at Le Plage, the freshwater pool fringed with parasols and a softly trickling waterfall, where breakfasts of eggs, local bread, warm pastries, and fresh juice appear on the long communal table.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
Cool jazz plays softly in the background, and each room has its own distinct feel.
—Tristan Graziano, Charlotte Observer, 22 Apr. 2026
Hairstylist Andy Lecompte gave Hayek a sculptural updo with the front softly yet dramatically side-swept, allowing her gray streaks to be center-stage.
—Marci Robin, Allure, 20 Apr. 2026
Linnie Greene, Pitchfork, 29 Apr. 2026
Sylvia, my copilot, snores softly.
—Literary Hub, 29 Apr. 2026
Start with tall bluebonnet stems on the left, fill the middle with medium-height ornamental onions, and finish the arrangement with softly drooping sweet peas on the right.
—Maria Sabella, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Apr. 2026
Wilson was softly spoken under cross-examination by Sue Chrysanthou, MacInnes’ barrister, during the hearing on Tuesday.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 28 Apr. 2026
Depending on the evening, dinner is served outside under the open sky or inside a softly glowing hoop house.
—Susmita Baral, Travel + Leisure, 26 Apr. 2026
Days begin at Le Plage, the freshwater pool fringed with parasols and a softly trickling waterfall, where breakfasts of eggs, local bread, warm pastries, and fresh juice appear on the long communal table.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
Cool jazz plays softly in the background, and each room has its own distinct feel.
—Tristan Graziano, Charlotte Observer, 22 Apr. 2026
Hairstylist Andy Lecompte gave Hayek a sculptural updo with the front softly yet dramatically side-swept, allowing her gray streaks to be center-stage.
—Marci Robin, Allure, 20 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for softly
Adverb
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The 30-year-old didn’t face that battle head on to attend the country music festival quietly either.—
Sean Joseph OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
26 Apr. 2026
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Catching up on spring cleaning just got easier with this quietly clever shelf.—
Mariana Best,
Better Homes & Gardens,
26 Apr. 2026
Adverb
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But you are allowed to ask, lightly, kindly, whether the box is coming along for the ride.—
Jann Blackstone,
Boston Herald,
26 Apr. 2026
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The following excerpts from their conversation are lightly edited for clarity.—
Steven Rosenbaum,
CBS News,
26 Apr. 2026
Adverb
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In the new film, Jackson is played by his nephew Jaafar, with a faintly familiar smile and highly familiar dance moves.—
Kelefa Sanneh,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
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The fans faintly begin chanting his name, then their voices disappear into a hush.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2026
Adverb
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Once repair is complete, growth hormone activates a brainstem region called the locus coeruleus, which gently nudges you toward waking.—
Allison Palmer,
Miami Herald,
29 Apr. 2026
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Take the time to scan from top to bottom, and don’t be afraid to gently move items aside.—
Elizabeth Fogarty,
Better Homes & Gardens,
29 Apr. 2026
Adverb
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Heathcliff’s racial ambiguity — so central to the novel’s violence and otherness — is feebly erased.—
Ana Gutierrez,
Austin American Statesman,
11 Feb. 2026
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One man aboard the boat knew how to navigate the mangroves and sandbars of the keys, and with the late summer sun beating down on the rafters, the boat pushed out feebly into the open ocean.—
Miriam Pensack,
The Dial,
30 Sep. 2025
Adverb
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The new series Margo’s Got Money Troubles (streaming on Apple TV) tenderly illustrates the relentless, creative work of making a living online, Sophie Gilbert writes.—
David A. Graham,
The Atlantic,
23 Apr. 2026
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Yet the director, Vanessa Caswill, stages it all with a tenderly forlorn Middle American plausibility.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
11 Mar. 2026
Adverb
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Small branches can be clipped quickly and almost noiselessly and fashioned into an effective blind in only a few minutes.—
Bruce Brady,
Outdoor Life,
8 Apr. 2026
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On a brilliant midsummer morning, my wife and I stepped into a black Zodiac raft and drifted noiselessly among icebergs five stories high, their emerald and aquamarine walls gleaming above sapphire waters.—
Pico Iyer,
Condé Nast Traveler,
17 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Softly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/softly. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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