by and large

adverb

Definition of by and largenext
as in mostly
for the most part by and large, that information is accurate

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of by and large Monday was, by and large, a refreshing day in the Love Island villa. — Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 7 July 2026 People tend to vote their individual economic interests, but the only people who really had a stake in this were, by and large, not residents of the city of San Diego. — Lori Weisberg, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 July 2026 The men and women who serve in Congress, by and large, love our country. — CBS News, 28 June 2026 The Montblanc Collection is a fantastic ode to the label’s heritage, but a warming and wintry one by and large (leather, patchouli, oud, incense). — Adam Hurly, Robb Report, 25 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for by and large
Recent Examples of Synonyms for by and large
  1. mostly
  2. mainly
  3. primarily
  4. chiefly
  5. largely
  6. predominantly
  7. basically
  8. principally
Adverb
  • The National Weather Service has issued an extreme heat warning that applies to more than 1 million people in San Diego County, mostly across inland valleys, foothills and mountains where high temperatures will approach or exceed 95 to 114 degrees.
    — Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Aug. 2026
  • After all, horror isn’t exactly a Broadway staple and producers have mostly given up that particular ghost.
    — Frank Rizzo, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of mostly
Adverb
  • Treasury is managing yields, which looks like monetary policy, while the Fed’s balance sheet works mainly through the composition of government debt, which looks like fiscal policy.
    — James Broughel, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026
  • The center also receives waste such as leaves and construction materials and processes them into new products, mainly compost and cattle bedding.
    — Rose Evans August 21, Idaho Statesman, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of mainly
Adverb
  • The duties also apply to kraftliner, which is a strong paperboard, primarily used in the outer layer of cardboard boxes.
    — Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2026
  • The city began planning the renovation of 16th Street in 2007, primarily attributing the increasing maintenance costs of its granite paver surface as the need for it.
    — Logan Smith, CBS News, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of primarily
Adverb
  • Today, other drugs are more often deployed, chiefly benzodiazepines or the benzodiazepine Clonazepam, which also render a person zombie-like and more reliably submissive.
    — Mattha Busby, Rolling Stone, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Beyond overall car performance, a pressing concern for Cadillac this year has been reliability, chiefly recurring brake overheating issues (below).
    — Luke Smith, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of chiefly
Adverb
  • The economic outlook is also largely positive despite the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
    — Kathryn Hopkins, Footwear News, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Other sailors described to CNN conditions unlike their previous deployments, largely because of the war, which stopped the ship from making stops at friendly ports.
    — Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of largely
Adverb
  • Another complaint has been that the newspaper has been mostly an aggregator of news instead of providing predominantly original news.
    — Jennifer Jacobs, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026
  • The participants were predominantly White healthcare professionals, meaning the findings need to be confirmed across diverse populations, the team acknowledged.
    — Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of predominantly
Adverb
  • Lee Johnson After I got sacked from Fleetwood Town in 2023, I was basically cancelled in a football sense.
    — Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Its footprint is still basically square, so the shape doesn’t waste much floor space.
    — Evan Russum, Architectural Digest, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of basically
Adverb
  • Arsenal and Galatasaray have been in dialogue over several players, principally Martinelli — but there are no active negotiations over a potential transfer for Osimhen.
    — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Trade along the route remains tiny compared with major throughways like the Suez Canal and is dominated by Russian oil and gas, which – along with a few other LNG buyers in Asia – principally flow to China.
    — Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of principally

Browse Nearby Words

by-and-bys
by and large
by-blow
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Cite this Entry

“By and large.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/by%20and%20large. Accessed 27 Aug. 2026.

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