sparingly

adverb

Definition of sparinglynext
as in poorly

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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 sparingly If garlic or onions regularly leave you smelling off, Cleveland Clinic suggests using them sparingly or swapping in herbs and spices. — Samantha Agate, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Oct. 2026 Marshall, a former University of Florida standout the Dolphins selected in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, has gotten off to a quiet start in his first season as a full-fledged starter, sparingly being targeted in the first three games. — Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 1 Oct. 2026 Although it’s been used sparingly since first coming to market more than 25 years ago, Foamposite remains one of Nike‘s most emblematic technologies. — Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 29 Sep. 2026 If the plant in a cachepot is too big to lift out easily, water it in the pot sparingly. — Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Sep. 2026 Use hydrogen peroxide sparingly, as too much can waste product and may yellow clothes in sunlight. — Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 24 Sep. 2026 Toney played sparingly in the second half, and Fletcher left the game in the fourth quarter. — Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 23 Sep. 2026 In the near-decade since, Jay-Z has chosen his moments of visibility sparingly, appearing mostly as a power broker playing in one-per-center sandboxes. — Hua Hsu, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2026 The car, which has spent the last 24 years under private ownership, appears to have been well looked after and driven sparingly, with less than 1,900 miles showing up on the odometer. — Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 14 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sparingly
  1. poorly
  2. cheaply
  3. frugally
  4. economically
  5. inexpensively
  6. sparely
  7. meagerly
  8. thriftily
Adverb
  • Coach Curt Cignetti was asked after the game how his team could play so poorly for most of three quarters and still pull out a win.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 12 Oct. 2026
  • The bet went swimmingly for the house and poorly for its takers.
    — Ta-Nehisi Coates, Vanity Fair, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of poorly
Adverb
  • Put into bat, India got off to a good start despite losing Sanju Samson (3) cheaply.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 Oct. 2026
  • TypeSafe says Jev is designed to handle these judgments faster and more cheaply than general-purpose language models, but with the same ability to set up the classifier through easy, natural language instructions that LLMs offer.
    — Wen Shao, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of cheaply
Adverb
  • Maines lived frugally and generously left his estate to charity, funding a scholarship at his alma mater, SUNY at Canton, and supporting local journalism at The Asheville Watchdog.
    — Sally Kestin, Sun Sentinel, 11 Sep. 2026
  • The family lived frugally, Ferguson said, since Good’s partner sold a company and didn’t work as Good attended graduate school online.
    — PJ Green, Kansas City Star, 8 Jan. 2026
Definition of frugally
Adverb
  • The Commission’s proposed 46% target falls short of that ambition, and of its own analysis, which identifies 50% as the economically optimal pathway to 2040.
    — Sophie Dembinski, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Rodriguez, Ortiz and Gomez Fisher all agreed that filming most of the movie on the island was essential, not only creatively but also economically and culturally.
    — Johanna Ferreira, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of economically
Adverb
  • After recently visiting Micron headquarters in Boise, Idaho, Jim was even more convinced that the chipmaker is trading too inexpensively at only six times fiscal 2027 earnings estimates.
    — Natasha Abellard, CNBC, 25 Sep. 2026
  • As air conditioning breakdowns grow more common and repair companies face packed schedules, many homeowners are eager to get their cooling restored as quickly — and as inexpensively — as possible.
    — Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 31 July 2026
Definition of inexpensively
Adverb
  • The score by Don Ellis is shrewdly and sparely used, and the movie is uniformly well-acted, by a cast that also includes Roy Scheider, Tony LoBianco, and Harold Gary.
    — Craig Fisher, HollywoodReporter, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Maps show the location of the crash is sparely populated and the two-lane road has no street lighting.
    — Mark Price, Miami Herald, 12 Aug. 2025
Definition of sparely
Adverb
  • Limón would like to see the state stop subsidizing corporations who pay so meagerly that their employees qualify for Medi-Cal.
    — Anita Chabria, Mercury News, 3 June 2026
  • When opportunities arise, whether lowly paid or not, we’re often left with no other choice than to take the role that pays meagerly.
    — Robyn Mowatt, Essence, 1 Sep. 2025
Definition of meagerly
Adverb
  • Time, not thriftily spent but flagrantly wasted at cards or the wheel, is brought to a standstill right at the moment of its greatest potentiality—this would have to be the ultimate payoff.
    — Artforum, Artforum, 28 Sep. 2026
  • That’s frustrating considering the format has always been thriftily priced.
    — Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 14 Aug. 2025
Definition of thriftily

Browse Nearby Words

sparing
sparingly
spark
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Cite this Entry

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

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