single-handedly

adverb

Definition of single-handedlynext
as in independently
without aid or support the team's star slugger hit three home runs, effectively winning the game single-handedly

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 single-handedly To Jones’ point, Uwazurike single-handedly blew up one run-sweep to Harvey in a 9-on-7 period, arriving in the backfield the near second Harvey even touched the ball. — Luca Evans, Denver Post, 5 Aug. 2026 Silky Pants Inspired by Oprah Winfrey Oprah Winfrey is single-handedly making cargo pants cool again. — Emily Weaver, PEOPLE, 30 July 2026 America’s greatest rival is single-handedly averting a global energy crisis. — Rogé Karma, The Atlantic, 29 July 2026 The segment saw a 34% increase in annual revenue and 42% jump in operating profit, almost single-handedly pulling the overall company into growth for the financial year. — Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 22 July 2026 Reached a second successive final with Argentina, almost single-handedly firing them there with eight goals (taking his tally to 15 goals from 15 matches in the past two tournaments). — Tim Spiers, New York Times, 21 July 2026 Johnson is pushing the effort almost single-handedly, without full backing from his slim House Republican majority or the Senate. — Lisa Mascaro, Chicago Tribune, 16 July 2026 Davis almost single-handedly forced the perennially high mortality rate in Sheriff’s Office jails onto the front burner of the public agenda, authoring a series of exposés first in the pages of CityBeat and later in the Union-Tribune. — Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 July 2026 Their search leads them to Dort, a robot alien who has been sent to Earth to single-handedly take over the planet. — Parents, 1 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for single-handedly
  1. independently
  2. alone
  3. separately
  4. individually
  5. solely
Adverb
  • Check Availability at Expedia All listings featured on Condé Nast Traveler are independently selected by our editors.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Aug. 2026
  • The incidents have been the subject of mounting interest in the United States, with the Washington Post this week reporting that the strikes were carried out as part of a covert CIA program – a claim CNN cannot independently verify.
    — Michael Rios, CNN Money, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of independently
Adverb
  • The pools are worth the visit alone—killer views, and plenty of space to hop around to keep the scenery fresh.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Humanitarian intervention alone is unable to improve this dire situation.
    — Kara Fox, CNN Money, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of alone
Adverb
  • The departure symbolizes opportunity, even more so now that the women’s and men’s tournaments are sold separately.
    — Emily Olsen, New York Times, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Egg storage is typically billed separately and can cost up to about $1,000 a year, depending on the facility.
    — Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of separately
Adverb
  • The number represents about a third of the Connecticut prison population and individually represents mothers, fathers, brothers, sons who have been accused but not found guilty.
    — Kaitlin McCallum, Hartford Courant, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Most is in the form of subatomic particles called neutrinos, which carry little energy individually but are generated in vast numbers when a star explodes.
    — Phil Plait, Scientific American, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of individually
Adverb
  • Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti said in May that his league was solely focused on a 24-team model.
    — Chris Vannini, New York Times, 11 Aug. 2026
  • The ByteDance app, for example, is directing users of its former AI companion service to another of its apps which solely focuses on building personalized AI characters and stories.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of solely

Browse Nearby Words

single-handed
single-handedly
single-minded
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Single-handedly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/single-handedly. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.

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