merely

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Roberts wondered whether that phrasing itself suggested confusion, either by counsel or by the trial judge, about whether the objection was then being made or merely marked for later elaboration.

From Slate • Apr. 10, 2026

But without understanding the context of the Emancipation Proclamation, emancipation appears merely tactical—and not what Lincoln understood it to be: a moral reckoning carried out under extraordinary political and personal pressure.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026

And the higher expected returns on equities merely compensate for the risk that will be borne by the taxpayers — a huge and risky financial maneuver with very little payoff.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 9, 2026

“Faces of Death” is so steeped in the computer monitor’s point of view that, ultimately, the internet isn’t merely the defendant on trial — it’s also the judge and jury.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026

Later that very day, investors in the collapsed Bear Stearns hedge funds were informed that their $1.6 billion in triple-A-rated subprime-backed CDOs had not merely lost some value, they were worthless.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis