inwardly

adverb

Definition of inwardlynext
as in secretly

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar 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 inwardly Yet inwardly, psychologically, something new awoke inside Caldwell. — Namir Khaliq, Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026 Now, others rooting for a crash weren’t as inwardly focused. — Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 11 Mar. 2026 Charleigh inwardly winced and froze in place, hand still on the knob. — Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 20 Jan. 2026 Regina turns her disdain outwardly, planning her escape, while Birde directs hers inwardly, seeing no way out. — Oline Cogdill, Sun Sentinel, 13 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for inwardly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inwardly
  1. secretly
  2. intimately
  3. privately
  4. sotto voce
Adverb
  • Meanwhile, conservative activists spread rumors last week that Talarico was struggling with his mental health and had secretly retreated to an Ohio hospital.
    — Lauren Green, The Washington Examiner, 15 Oct. 2026
  • An engineer at OpenAI has been charged with secretly installing a recording device inside a conference room in what officials said Tuesday was an effort to capture sensitive conversations about the company's technology.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of secretly
Adverb
  • But the Netflix series, though often immensely dramatic, rarely puts its characters in places that reflect them intimately.
    — Emily Zemler, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Well, the bacteria are very intimately associated with these fungi.
    — Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of intimately
Adverb
  • The post was later deleted, and Val apologized to Inaba publicly and privately.
    — Christina Dugan Ramirez, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2026
  • But Republicans privately worry that growing disapproval of his administration is a liability.
    — Michelle S. Price, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of privately
Adverb
  • This isn’t a grabby, attention seeker of a film, but a quiet, watchful sort of movie that whispers its secrets sotto voce.
    — Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 13 May 2026
  • The first and rarest category involved sotto voce confessions of personal tree-felling or maiming episodes.
    — Rosa Lyster, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
Definition of sotto voce

Browse Nearby Words

inward
inwardly
inwards
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Inwardly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inwardly. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All