thoroughly

adverb

thor·ough·ly ˈthər-(ˌ)ō-lē

sometimes ˈthȯr-;

ˈthə-(ˌ)rō-

Synonyms of thoroughly

: in a complete or thorough manner

Police thoroughly searched the crime scene for clues.

Bats are extremely tidy: they comb themselves thoroughly, and don't gather a mess of nesting materials for their homes, as birds do.—Diane Ackerman

: to a complete or thorough extent

We were thoroughly satisfied with the service we received.

thoroughly disgusted/delighted

By taking all the tricks in the game, one defeats the opponent so thoroughly that he may be disconcerted …—Craig M. Carver

Examples of thoroughly in a Sentence

they researched the issue thoroughly before deciding how to vote I am thoroughly satisfied with her explanation of the events of that evening

Recent Examples on the Web

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.

In fact, his language has been so thoroughly absorbed by advertising, fashion, design, merchandising, that all visual culture arguably owes him a debt. — Jerry Saltz, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2026 Once temperatures consistently drop below 50°F or when plants are moved indoors, Crumbley recommends washing them thoroughly once a month. — Nadia Hassani, The Spruce, 16 Oct. 2026 More impressively, background noise is thoroughly eliminated. — Mark Knapp, PC Magazine, 15 Oct. 2026 Dallas got thoroughly embarrassed at home by a winless Buccaneers squad, surrendering 241 rushing yards and making an 0-4 offense look explosive. — Alejandro Avila Outkick, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for thoroughly

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of thoroughly was in the 15th century

See more words from the same century

Cite this Entry

Style

“Thoroughly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thoroughly. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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thoroughly

adverb

Synonyms of thoroughly

Examples of thoroughly in a Sentence

Word History

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Cite this Entry

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