as in easily
without difficulty
you're not going to get off lightly if they catch you!
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples 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 lightly
Tap the brakes, lightly, when necessary to self-correct out of the skid.
—
John Tufts, The Indianapolis Star, 11 Dec. 2024
Bake at 375 degrees 5-8 minutes until golden edges appear and the top bounces back when tapped lightly.
—Kathryn Gregory, The Courier-Journal, 9 Dec. 2024
Let dry for 2 hours, and then lightly sand to remove air bubbles.
—Maria V. Charbonneaux, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Dec. 2024
Bake in preheated oven, 1 baking sheet at a time, until lightly browned around edges and candies have melted, 10 to 12 minutes.
—Anna Theoktisto, Southern Living, 1 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for lightly 
John Tufts, The Indianapolis Star, 11 Dec. 2024
Bake at 375 degrees 5-8 minutes until golden edges appear and the top bounces back when tapped lightly.
—Kathryn Gregory, The Courier-Journal, 9 Dec. 2024
Let dry for 2 hours, and then lightly sand to remove air bubbles.
—Maria V. Charbonneaux, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Dec. 2024
Bake in preheated oven, 1 baking sheet at a time, until lightly browned around edges and candies have melted, 10 to 12 minutes.
—Anna Theoktisto, Southern Living, 1 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for lightly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lightly
Adverb
-
Escape Cafe’s high-end beans are easily accessible across Canada, available in over 60 coffee shops and 200 supermarkets.Tyler Shepherd, USA TODAY, 16 Dec. 2024
-
Furthermore, those that are likely to suffer most are those who cannot afford going to a dentist, those that live in rural areas that may not be able to access dental offices easily as well as underserved communities that do not have the luxury to purchase fluoridated water.Omer Awan, Forbes, 15 Dec. 2024
Adverb
-
Thankfully, things started out fairly easy with 1 and 4 Across (Bow and Caleb) and a few of the downs were pretty obvious—Ole!—but some of these really stumped me.Erik Kain, Forbes, 7 Dec. 2024
-
Retirement life has not come that easy for the Kelce family.Ryan Morik, Fox News, 6 Dec. 2024
Adverb
-
Functional fashion offers women the opportunity to freely move from morning to night without missing a beat.WWD, WWD, 5 Dec. 2024
-
The company’s board had been interviewing semiconductor executives for several weeks, said the people, who requested anonymity to discuss confidential information freely.Rohan Goswami, CNBC, 5 Dec. 2024
Adverb
-
And because a big meal produces a huge spike in insulin, your body responds to the sugar and efficiently stores more body fat.Bryant Stamford, Louisville Courier Journal, 12 Dec. 2024
-
Regardless of the underlying cause, the deficit causes the body to function less efficiently.Nicholas Florko, The Atlantic, 12 Dec. 2024
Adverb
-
Obvious identifiers like a street name, alma mater or other information that may be readily available online are ill-advised, experts say.Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 17 Dec. 2024
-
Administrative representatives at the university’s main campus in Anza and a branch campus in Mill Valley, Calif., did not have documents readily available related to student and faculty rosters and class syllabi, officers said.Colleen Shalby, Los Angeles Times, 17 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near lightly
Cite this Entry
“Lightly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lightly. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share