actually
adverb
ac·tu·al·ly
ˈak-ch(ə-w)ə-lē 
-sh(ə-w)ə-lē;
ˈaksh-lē,
ˈaks-
1
: in act or in fact : really
trying to find out what actually happened
won't actually arrive for an hour
2
: in point of fact
—used to suggest something unexpected
was surprised to learn that she could actually speak German
Synonyms
Examples of actually in a Sentence
actually, I'd rather spend the evening at home
I call her Aunt Emily, but she is actually my cousin, not my aunt.
Recent Examples on the Web
One of the main reasons is wild tomato genes have been pulled in and crossed for disease resistance and nutritional content is actually widening the gene pool of our food.
—
Sasa Woodruff, NPR, 28 Apr. 2024
But some gyms are actually embracing these slimming medications.
—Bruce Gil, Quartz, 28 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for actually 
Sasa Woodruff, NPR, 28 Apr. 2024
But some gyms are actually embracing these slimming medications.
—Bruce Gil, Quartz, 28 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for actually
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'actually.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Actually.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/actually. Accessed 3 May. 2024.
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actually
adverb
ac·tu·al·ly
ˈak-ch(ə-w)ə-lē
ˈak-sh(ə-w)ə-lē
: in fact or in truth : really
she actually spoke Spanish
actually, I didn't want to go
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