: nothing more than : only
was merely trying to help
… no boy wanted to be on record as considering a girl a major fox only to discover that she considered him merely cool.—
Richard Russo
Richard RussoNot merely decorative, the crisscrossing slats and fins variously filter light and provide privacy.—Rob Haskell
Rob HaskellMany merely desire a pleasant afternoon perusing the exhibitions in their local gallery.—Launt Thompson
Launt ThompsonMany of the deep-sea fishes, for example, have pathetically weak skeletons and terribly flabby bodies—in extreme cases they are the consistency of gelatin and seem to be composed merely of mouth and stomach.—Tim Flannery
Tim Flannery… because of technology what in the past would have taken days took merely hours.—Lee Child
Lee ChildExamples of merely in a Sentence
the outside noise was merely a raccoon knocking over the garbage can
Recent Examples on the Web
Rather than merely illustrating corporate omnipotence, Vara exposes the fragility of the technology itself: a nonhuman force that still depends on humanity—and is unable to encompass it.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2025
Transforming Digital Literacy into Lifelong Empowerment Infrastructure, while crucial, is merely the starting point.
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While holding the Intercontinental Title is an impressive accomplishment, many within the wrestling world believe that this is merely a stepping stone for Breakker, hinting at an even brighter future on WWE's main roster.
—Raja Krishnamoorthi, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Apr. 2025
The banking industry strongly opposed the Biden rule, which would cap overdraft fees at just $5 for banks and financial institutions with more than $10 billion in assets unless the institutions opt for a fee that merely covers their own costs or treat the overdraft payment as a loan.
—Zach Halaschak, The Washington Examiner, 9 Apr. 2025
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Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2025
Transforming Digital Literacy into Lifelong Empowerment Infrastructure, while crucial, is merely the starting point.
—Haroldo Jacobovicz, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025
While holding the Intercontinental Title is an impressive accomplishment, many within the wrestling world believe that this is merely a stepping stone for Breakker, hinting at an even brighter future on WWE's main roster.
—Raja Krishnamoorthi, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Apr. 2025
The banking industry strongly opposed the Biden rule, which would cap overdraft fees at just $5 for banks and financial institutions with more than $10 billion in assets unless the institutions opt for a fee that merely covers their own costs or treat the overdraft payment as a loan.
—Zach Halaschak, The Washington Examiner, 9 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for merely
Cite this Entry
“Merely.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/merely. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
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