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.

He wanted to convince the justices that this was not merely a preservation dispute but a case in which the trial court had fundamentally failed to carry out Batson’s third step.

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

Paris had had all the markers of sophistication; even in wartime the city was like a beautiful woman merely wearing drab clothes.

From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse