metaphorically

adverb

Definition of metaphoricallynext
as in loosely

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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 metaphorically Our conversation danced like the flames, and sparks flew (literally and metaphorically) as Quinn cut and hammered iron. — Sarah Wood González, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Sep. 2026 Literally or metaphorically, your ideal romance or financial situation is top of mind right now. — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 10 Sep. 2026 And Black’s passion for art would come to figure, metaphorically, in at least one of their interactions. — William D. Cohan, ARTnews.com, 8 Sep. 2026 The Graces helped love bloom in the world, metaphorically and literally. — Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for metaphorically
Recent Examples of Synonyms for metaphorically
  1. loosely
  2. carelessly
  3. inaccurately
  4. freely
Adverb
  • That flattened front-end design is lifted loosely from the GT1 Le Mans racer, while the back half has tinges of the 959.
    — Caleb Jacobs, The Drive, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The mystery comedy, loosely inspired by the 1989 film starring Tom Hanks, follows a married couple whose move into the husband's childhood home exposes unsettling secrets in their seemingly quiet suburban neighborhood.
    — Danielle Minnetian, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of loosely
Adverb
  • Jasson Domínguez, still a liability on defense, carelessly let a leadoff single bounce past him and roll to the wall in right for a two-base error, but Cole managed to strand the runner at third and logged a scoreless frame.
    — Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Omar Alderete, O’Nien’s second-half replacement, carelessly did the same thing for the late winner.
    — Stuart James, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of carelessly
Adverb
  • Part of the Blue Island discourse was predicated on the language some Black artists sometimes use to express their frustration around their art being inaccurately labeled.
    — Kyle Denis, Billboard, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Keep in mind, though, that software often inaccurately depicts the actuation points of keyboards, albeit by amounts that are hard to notice, according to RTINGs’ testing).
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of inaccurately
Adverb
  • Mosquitoes and infected people can move freely from one country to another, and success requires complex coordination between the governments.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 Oct. 2026
  • But as that approach began to deliver diminishing returns, and freely available human data started to dry up, the labs have leaned much more on post-training and reinforcement learning.
    — Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of freely

Browse Nearby Words

metaphoric
metaphorically
metaphors
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Cite this Entry

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

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