by and large

adverb

Definition of by and largenext
as in mostly
for the most part by and large, that information is accurate

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 by and large Monday was, by and large, a refreshing day in the Love Island villa. — Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 7 July 2026 People tend to vote their individual economic interests, but the only people who really had a stake in this were, by and large, not residents of the city of San Diego. — Lori Weisberg, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 July 2026 The men and women who serve in Congress, by and large, love our country. — CBS News, 28 June 2026 The Montblanc Collection is a fantastic ode to the label’s heritage, but a warming and wintry one by and large (leather, patchouli, oud, incense). — Adam Hurly, Robb Report, 25 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for by and large
Recent Examples of Synonyms for by and large
  1. mostly
  2. mainly
  3. primarily
  4. chiefly
  5. largely
  6. predominantly
  7. basically
  8. principally
Adverb
  • Details of the contract have been mostly kept secret, as both companies said the agreement contained confidential business information.
    — Sydney Sasser, Arkansas Online, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Decades later, buses helped desegregate schools, hauling Black and white children across the country’s racial divide, a controversial practice that has mostly ended.
    — Jeff McMurray, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of mostly
Adverb
  • In the last decade Germany has sheltered millions of refugees, mainly from Syria and other troubled countries in the Middle East.
    — Erik Kirschbaum, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2026
  • There are only a handful of performances currently scheduled at the Kennedy Center, mainly at the adjacent facility known as the REACH.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of mainly
Adverb
  • Williams has the versatility to play inside and out, despite playing primarily in the slot in college.
    — Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Larson notes that whole-wheat or whole-grain crust generally provides more fiber and micronutrients such as magnesium than crust made primarily from refined white flour.
    — Daryl Austin, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of primarily
Adverb
  • That would mean that repetition, rather than representation, is chiefly at stake—a hypnotic ritual.
    — Jeffrey Weiss, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Many of the dozens missing in its environs were foreign nationals, chiefly Indian or Indian-origin pilgrims who were returning from, or preparing to make, the journey further into Tibet to Mount Kailash, a holy site for Hindus and Buddhists.
    — Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of chiefly
Adverb
  • In the beginning, the team largely focused on fatal drunk-driving cases, Cherney said.
    — Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Beginning with the 2026-27 school year, Texas is moving away from a system that based special education funding largely on where and how students received services.
    — Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of largely
Adverb
  • Two years later, Wong became one of the key leaders of the city’s Umbrella Movement protests that rallied thousands of predominantly young people to the streets to call for greater democracy by blocking major thoroughfares for 79 straight days.
    — Chris Lau, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2026
  • If the night had ended after that soaring anthem, few in the heavily female and predominantly middle-aged crowd could have complained.
    — Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of predominantly
Adverb
  • Oregon, meanwhile, faced a terrific test, and Moore was basically the reason the Ducks won.
    — Nick Baumgardner, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • When kids first got online, parents were bewildered and alarmed, but kids, who tend to gravitate to new technology, found freedom in a space that was basically ungoverned.
    — Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of basically
Adverb
  • Their focus is principally Travis Kelce, who is reclined on an outdoor sofa, posing for a Tommy Hilfiger campaign.
    — Nick Remsen, Vogue, 1 Sep. 2026
  • This rising use of AI has principally been spurred by the evolving advances and widespread adoption of generative AI and LLMs such as ChatGPT, GPT-5, Claude, Gemini, Copilot, and others.
    — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of principally

Browse Nearby Words

by-and-bys
by and large
by-blow
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Cite this Entry

“By and large.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/by%20and%20large. Accessed 7 Sep. 2026.

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