as in real
existing in fact and not merely as a possibility
the actual outcome of the election was quite different from what everybody had expected
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Recent Examples of actual
The actual ranges of these missiles remain classified.
—
Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 May 2025
The plot was inspired by several actual snatch-and-grab jobs from the era, including the 1972 Worcester Art Museum heist in which robbers made off with masterpieces from Rembrandt, Picasso and Gauguin.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 23 May 2025
And mainstream journalists, of course, are now the ones writing books containing actual reporting on what happened.
—Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 23 May 2025
Four road trips into this year, however, no trickle-down effect has been as lauded as the changes the Dodgers have made to their actual travel schedule.
—Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 23 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for actual
Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 May 2025
The plot was inspired by several actual snatch-and-grab jobs from the era, including the 1972 Worcester Art Museum heist in which robbers made off with masterpieces from Rembrandt, Picasso and Gauguin.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 23 May 2025
And mainstream journalists, of course, are now the ones writing books containing actual reporting on what happened.
—Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 23 May 2025
Four road trips into this year, however, no trickle-down effect has been as lauded as the changes the Dodgers have made to their actual travel schedule.
—Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 23 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for actual
Recent Examples of Synonyms for actual
Adjective
-
All of his links to the real world are frayed or contrived.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
22 May 2025
-
In this eerie tale about fear, lust, and female empowerment, the real question becomes whether this is an act of witchcraft—or a witch hunt.—
Shannon Carlin,
Time,
22 May 2025
Adjective
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Remember when Google demoed its Bard AI tool in 2023 and its factual error led to its parent company losing US$100 billion in market value?—
Greg Edwards,
The Conversation,
30 May 2025
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Puig agreed to waive any legal protections for suppression or exclusion of new information in the factual basis.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
30 May 2025
Adjective
-
The formula for ‘true tackles’ is slightly more long-winded: tackles + challenges lost + fouls committed.—
Patrick Boyland,
New York Times,
28 May 2025
-
The young man is at a crossroads between pursuing shallow, glitzy easy money, or being true to his emotional and artistic muses.—
Jessica Kiang,
Variety,
27 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Actual.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/actual. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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