as in legally
according to the rules or the law
it was a cleanly fought match, so you have no grounds for complaint
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in sanitary
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cleanly
Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 Mar. 2026
As if in slow motion, the ball ricocheted off the rim and into the backboard before dropping cleanly through the net.
—Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 22 Mar. 2026
Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 15 Sep. 2023
Ripa smiled at the camera with cleanly arched eyebrows, long eyelashes and long blonde locks that fell past her shoulders.
—Jill Lupupa, Peoplemag, 7 Aug. 2023
See All Example Sentences for cleanly
Adverb
Instead, Fland — the Gators’ best on-ball defender — allowed Stirtz to freely catch the ball cleanly.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 Mar. 2026
As if in slow motion, the ball ricocheted off the rim and into the backboard before dropping cleanly through the net.
—Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 22 Mar. 2026
Adjective
Among the 21 artists are Julia Chon and Dave Young Kim, who offer cleanly hard-edge paintings of, respectively, a woman in traditional garb and two storks below two strands of barbed wire.
—Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 15 Sep. 2023
Ripa smiled at the camera with cleanly arched eyebrows, long eyelashes and long blonde locks that fell past her shoulders.
—Jill Lupupa, Peoplemag, 7 Aug. 2023
See All Example Sentences for cleanly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cleanly
Adverb
-
It’s based on the habeas corpus, which is a Latin legal term referring to the constitutional right for people to legally challenge their detention by the government.—
Audrey McAvoy,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Although parked legally, the cars made the route impassable for school buses, plow trucks, fire trucks or ambulances.—
Laura Bauer,
Kansas City Star,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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For livestock, this would include potable water, sanitary living conditions and access to a windbreak such as a building or tree line.—
Paula Wethington,
CBS News,
6 Mar. 2026
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Results showed 80% of respondents voted no, citing both sanitary and ethical concerns.—
Reia Li,
AZCentral.com,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Scientists have discovered more than 6,000 exoplanets to date, but the majority of them are probably sterile worlds.—
Joanna Thompson,
Space.com,
28 Mar. 2026
-
The ones sold on the market were supposed to be sterile, meaning the seeds in the fruits weren’t supposed to germinate and grow.—
Markis Hill,
Kansas City Star,
28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Alongside the protest, organizers are collecting donations of clothes, hygienic products and food to stock community food boxes and to create care packages for in-need neighbors.—
Cate Charron,
IndyStar,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Unicharm could already turn these materials into other hygienic products like toilet paper, but a new ozone treatment designed to bleach, sterilize, and deodorize the pulp is widening the possibilities even further.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Their relationship starts as pure rivalry, shifts into a friends-with-benefits arrangement and eventually evolves into a full romantic relationship across the six-episode first season.—
Hanna Wickes,
Charlotte Observer,
28 Mar. 2026
-
But Honeywell is inching up, as people anticipate receiving shares of a pure-play aerospace company and an automation and security company.—
Kevin Stankiewicz,
CNBC,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The characters, as shot by cinematographer Cedric Cheung-Lau, organically occupy these spaces, like the jungle or sea caves, which often feel otherworldly in their untainted beauty.—
Carlos Aguilar,
IndieWire,
20 Mar. 2026
-
The judge instead asked for more evidence that the money was untainted.—
Blake Nelson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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As far as the yellow bed sheets go, this feels like the truest butter yellow—still pastel but not white-washed.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
20 Mar. 2026
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Better Homes & Gardens Paisley Medallion Cotton Quilt To keep you cool throughout the warmer seasons, the BHG x Walmart quilt is made from 100% cotton with a pre-washed and pre-shrunk cotton fill for maximum softness, comfort, and breathability.—
Carly Totten,
Better Homes & Gardens,
26 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Moreover, the trim little contraption cut a wholesome figure reminiscent of a Richard Scarry book—as if a courtesy tram birthed a tiny Zamboni.—
Henry Alford,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
-
The wellness-forward, fast-casual eatery priortizes wholesome ingredients and offerings that don’t compromise on flavor.—
Tanasia Kenney,
Charlotte Observer,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cleanly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cleanly. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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