: 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
Not merely decorative, the crisscrossing slats and fins variously filter light and provide privacy.—Rob Haskell
Many merely desire a pleasant afternoon perusing the exhibitions in their local gallery.—Launt Thompson
Many 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
… because of technology what in the past would have taken days took merely hours.—Lee Child
Cite this Entry
“Merely.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/merely. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.
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