as in carefully
without any relaxation of standards or precision
strictly speaking, Columbus did not discover America—the people living there had long known about it the rules must be strictly obeyed
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 strictly
Buahan is strictly adults-only and won’t welcome guests below 18 years of age.
—
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Mar. 2026
Those living with Type 2 diabetes tend to have coverage through insurance, while those looking to use GLP-1s strictly for weight loss have a harder time finding coverage.
—Kate Tully Ellsworth, USA Today, 30 Mar. 2026
While short-term rentals are strictly regulated in the City of San Diego, the same restrictions are not applied to unincorporated areas.
—Hannah Elsmore, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Mar. 2026
What’s most notable, though, is that Vitello said there was no consideration to going to his bench, which is composed strictly of right-handed hitters.
—Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 29 Mar. 2026
Please note that this exclusive welcome bonus is reserved strictly for new Underdog customers.
—Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Mar. 2026
Even verbal or written contact is strictly limited and documented once the crucial part of the bidding evaluation begins.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2026
This kind of love is not strictly (or even necessarily) a feeling or emotion; it is directed toward the good of others, even at a cost to oneself.
—Big Think, 26 Mar. 2026
None of this was strictly automated, either, which feels like a recurring theme.
—Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 25 Mar. 2026
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Mar. 2026
Those living with Type 2 diabetes tend to have coverage through insurance, while those looking to use GLP-1s strictly for weight loss have a harder time finding coverage.
—Kate Tully Ellsworth, USA Today, 30 Mar. 2026
While short-term rentals are strictly regulated in the City of San Diego, the same restrictions are not applied to unincorporated areas.
—Hannah Elsmore, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Mar. 2026
What’s most notable, though, is that Vitello said there was no consideration to going to his bench, which is composed strictly of right-handed hitters.
—Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 29 Mar. 2026
Please note that this exclusive welcome bonus is reserved strictly for new Underdog customers.
—Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Mar. 2026
Even verbal or written contact is strictly limited and documented once the crucial part of the bidding evaluation begins.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2026
This kind of love is not strictly (or even necessarily) a feeling or emotion; it is directed toward the good of others, even at a cost to oneself.
—Big Think, 26 Mar. 2026
None of this was strictly automated, either, which feels like a recurring theme.
—Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 25 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for strictly
Adverb
-
And if this isn't managed carefully, a country of 90 million people could very well fall into civil war.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
29 Mar. 2026
-
If there are members of one's social group who hold beliefs contrary to a person's personal goals, think carefully about how much value their opinions hold.—
Matt Parrott,
Arkansas Online,
29 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
Now, when a ball-strike call is challenged, the strike zone will be rigidly defined based on a batter’s height.—
Juliette Arcodia,
NBC news,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Handling has been sharpened by rigidly mounting the rear subframe and reworking the Bilstein dampers.—
Basem Wasef,
Robb Report,
25 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
Gray made the trip precisely for this sort of fun.—
Joe Davidson
March 27,
Sacbee.com,
28 Mar. 2026
-
The board said the Alert Act now addresses its recommendation to require all aircraft flying around busy airports to have key locator systems that would allow the pilots to know more precisely where the traffic around them is flying.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
27 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
Once the initial issues were rectified, the nightmare was still far from over, as Hilton developed another infection that had to be rigorously treated.—
Madeleine Marr,
Miami Herald,
23 Mar. 2026
-
One of Kennedy’s new appointees, Retsef Levi, a professor of operations management at the MIT Sloan School of Management, suggested that vaccinating a baby was like flying on an airplane that hadn’t been rigorously tested.—
Patricia Callahan,
ProPublica,
19 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Strictly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/strictly. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
