EXACTLY Synonyms: 146 Similar and Opposite Words

exactly

adverb

ig-ˈzak-(t)lē

Definition of exactly

as in just

as stated or indicated without the slightest difference we will meet at exactly six o'clock

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in precisely

in the same manner he wants to be exactly like his father

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in directly

in the same words a plagiarism suit alleging that one historian had copied large segments of another's text exactly

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in strictly

without any relaxation of standards or precision follow the rules exactly and you won't get into trouble

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in quite

to a full extent or degree she listened to the advice, then did exactly what she wanted to anyway

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in yes

used to express agreement "Are you calling me a liar?" "Exactly."

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 exactly Many mathematicians are hoping to prove that waves experiencing chaos not only spread out completely but also spread out exactly evenly over the entire space. — Shalma Wegsman, Quanta Magazine, 12 Aug. 2026 The function’s creator, Bernhard Riemann, wagered that the only way to make that output sum to exactly zero is to make the input variable’s real part exactly 1⁄2. — Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 12 Aug. 2026 Police are working to learn what exactly happened between the two adults who died. — Shelley Bortz, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026 Mamdani declined to share exactly where he was headed after a press conference Wednesday morning. — Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 12 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for exactly

Recent Examples of Synonyms for exactly

Adverb

The park, located just south of the intersection of Highway 1 and Tunitas Creek Road, will be open seven days a week.

— Paul Rogers, Mercury News, 13 Aug. 2026
Our officers did an excellent job removing a violent criminal off the streets, and that was just the beginning.

— CBS News, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of just

Adverb

There was some consternation when Brennan Johnson went to Crystal Palace in January for £35million, but this was precisely the sort of deal that Tottenham never used to do.

— Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 12 Aug. 2026
Every chair tilt, gust of wind, and scent spray is carefully timed to match the onscreen action and precisely calibrated not to understimulate or overstimulate audiences.

— Hershal Pandya, Vulture, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of precisely

Adverb

McIntosh’s catch features a high elbow and fingers pointing directly down toward the bottom of the pool, resulting in a strong grip on the water.

— Sarah Shephard, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
Why This Eclipse Is Special Lunar eclipses occur only during a full moon, when Earth passes directly between the sun and the moon.

— Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of directly

Adverb

There have been multiple sightings, but up to this point, neither of them have addressed whether this is strictly an employer-employee relationship or if there's a classic QB1-model dynamic taking place.

— Sean Joseph OutKick, FOXNews.com, 11 Aug. 2026
The scratchy, sketchy linework goes for an impression of people and places rather than strictly realistic representation; the backgrounds mostly stripped away.

— Kambole Campbell, Variety, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of strictly

Adverb

For health systems and technology companies racing to build AI diagnostic tools, the split in the research points toward a design problem rather than a simple yes-or-no verdict on AI’s competence.

— Jesse Pines, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026
The answer is yes, and the computer proved it, controversially, by checking 1,936 cases in a way no human could realistically verify.

— Benjamin Skuse, IEEE Spectrum, 25 June 2026

Definition of yes

Adverb

But Spain and the northeastern tip of Portugal will experience a special spectacle as totality, which will last just under two minutes, occurs right before sunset.

— Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 12 Aug. 2026
Angels right fielder Wade Meckler robbed Seager of a home run to end the seventh and preserve a 1-all tie.

— CBS News, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of right

Adverb

His fifth curled through the legs of Tarik Muharemovic and perfectly to Joshua Zirkzee’s feet for his first-time finish.

— Cerys Jones, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2026
A little bit funny, a lot cheesy and completely, unabashedly earnest, her Liz is — like moms everywhere — at once a perfectly ordinary woman and the center of the universe.

— Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of perfectly

Browse Nearby Words

exactitude

exactly

exactness

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Exactly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exactly. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of exactly

adverb

Example Sentences

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