1
as in straight
in a direct line or course
we went directly to the site without stopping to pick up extra supplies
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in openly
in an honest and direct manner
the instructor deals with her art students very directly, always telling them the plain truth
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in accurately
in the same words
quoted directly from the encyclopedia
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in immediately
without delay
in case of a medical emergency, do not try to contact your doctor but instead go directly to the hospital
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in shortly
at or within a short time
dinner should be ready directly
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 directly
By enabling data processing directly at the edge where it’s generated, tasks like real-time trading, fraud detection, and loan approvals can be carried out with near-zero delay.
—
Ricardo Tavares, Forbes.com, 10 July 2025
That included Jill Roord and the Netherlands’ record goalscorer Vivianne Miedema directly bearing down on her.
—Cerys Jones, New York Times, 10 July 2025
In the snap, Justin is facing away from the camera, while Hailey looks directly into the lens
This couple is not exactly known for being on the same page sartorially.
—Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 10 July 2025
And Craig’s wife directly accused him of poisoning her when she was discharged from her second hospital stay, the dental employee who saw the potassium cyanide package told investigators, according to the affidavit.
—Andi Babineau, CNN Money, 10 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for directly
Ricardo Tavares, Forbes.com, 10 July 2025
That included Jill Roord and the Netherlands’ record goalscorer Vivianne Miedema directly bearing down on her.
—Cerys Jones, New York Times, 10 July 2025
In the snap, Justin is facing away from the camera, while Hailey looks directly into the lens
This couple is not exactly known for being on the same page sartorially.
—Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 10 July 2025
And Craig’s wife directly accused him of poisoning her when she was discharged from her second hospital stay, the dental employee who saw the potassium cyanide package told investigators, according to the affidavit.
—Andi Babineau, CNN Money, 10 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for directly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for directly
Adverb
-
Part 1 of the anime's first season premiered this past January and remained in the Global Top 10 for 10 weeks straight.—
Allison DeGrushe Published,
EW.com,
14 July 2025
-
Look straight ahead and take a large step forward with one leg, lowering your body slowly.—
Jakob Roze,
Health,
14 July 2025
Adverb
-
Security scanners at airports could more accurately identify objects in passengers' luggage.—
Abhimanyu Ghoshal,
New Atlas,
4 July 2025
-
That accurately sums up the plea deal. — Richard Vatz, Towson Add your voice: Respond to this piece or other Sun content by submitting your own letter.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
4 July 2025
Adverb
-
Ballots dropped in a smart box can be tracked immediately, Michalowski said.—
Sophie Levenson,
Chicago Tribune,
8 July 2025
-
The school did not immediately respond to a message left Monday morning.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
8 July 2025
Adverb
-
After issuing a tornado watch shortly before 5 p.m. Friday, originally to last through 11 p.m., the weather service cancelled it in two waves — first for DeKalb and surrounding counties, then Cook County and collars.—
William Tong,
Chicago Tribune,
12 July 2025
-
But countless other bands have said similar things shortly before their own big money reunions.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
12 July 2025
Adverb
-
The floral prints just feel right everywhere, from the lavender fields of Provence to the vibrant streets of Lisbon, and the lightweight fabric keeps me cool in the hottest temperatures.—
Claire Gallam,
Travel + Leisure,
6 July 2025
-
But holding onto the lead won't be easy, McLaren teammates Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris are right behind him on the starting grid and hungry for a home-soil win.—
Kilty Cleary,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 July 2025
Adverb
-
The crucial element isn't avoiding errors, which is impossible, but rather owning them, apologizing sincerely, and committing to improvement.—
Julie Kratz,
Forbes.com,
13 July 2025
-
Because my beliefs are sincerely rooted in a flawed human’s attempts at decency — with equality for all, and discriminating against no one.—
Todd Gilchrist,
IndieWire,
11 July 2025
Adverb
-
And yet, that’s exactly what Instagram is now encouraging: to share the imperfect, the unfinished, the vulnerable.—
Bryanna Symone,
Essence,
10 July 2025
-
Arguably only McLaren and Sauber got it exactly right on Sunday.—
Madeline Coleman,
New York Times,
9 July 2025
Adverb
-
Users can send and receive it across borders instantly.—
Wale Ayeni,
semafor.com,
14 July 2025
-
For example, predictive AI instantly decides whether to allow each credit card charge, whereas the wholesale replacement of physicians with machines is a very long way off at best.—
Eric Siegel,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Directly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/directly. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share