by and large

adverb

Definition of by and largenext
as in mostly
for the most part by and large, that information is accurate

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 by and large Monday was, by and large, a refreshing day in the Love Island villa. — Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 7 July 2026 People tend to vote their individual economic interests, but the only people who really had a stake in this were, by and large, not residents of the city of San Diego. — Lori Weisberg, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 July 2026 The men and women who serve in Congress, by and large, love our country. — CBS News, 28 June 2026 The Montblanc Collection is a fantastic ode to the label’s heritage, but a warming and wintry one by and large (leather, patchouli, oud, incense). — Adam Hurly, Robb Report, 25 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for by and large
Recent Examples of Synonyms for by and large
  1. mostly
  2. mainly
  3. primarily
  4. chiefly
  5. largely
  6. predominantly
  7. basically
  8. principally
Adverb
  • Details of the contract have been mostly kept secret, as both companies said the agreement contained confidential business information.
    — Sydney Sasser, Arkansas Online, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Decades later, buses helped desegregate schools, hauling Black and white children across the country’s racial divide, a controversial practice that has mostly ended.
    — Jeff McMurray, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of mostly
Adverb
  • Done with a cheek swab, blood draw or saliva sample, this testing mainly looks at liver enzymes that affect how the body metabolizes medicines.
    — Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2026
  • It’s mainly centered on Billie, who is worried about an old Facebook post standing in the way of finding a job.
    — Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of mainly
Adverb
  • Summary The Toronto Blue Jays are struggling to meet high expectations this season, primarily due to the unexpected offensive slump of star Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
    — Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Diamondback Energy Mehta is also bullish on Diamondback Energy, an independent oil and natural gas company focused on energy reserves that are primarily in the Permian Basin in West Texas.
    — TipRanks.com Staff, CNBC, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of primarily
Adverb
  • Many of the dozens missing in its environs were foreign nationals, chiefly Indian or Indian-origin pilgrims who were returning from, or preparing to make, the journey further into Tibet to Mount Kailash, a holy site for Hindus and Buddhists.
    — Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Today, other drugs are more often deployed, chiefly benzodiazepines or the benzodiazepine Clonazepam, which also render a person zombie-like and more reliably submissive.
    — Mattha Busby, Rolling Stone, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of chiefly
Adverb
  • While High-Flyer’s pre-IPO picks have largely aligned with China’s national priorities, its own priority is still potential investment upside, industry experts say.
    — Anniek Bao,Elaine Yu, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
  • This is an episode built largely on a series of escalating miscommunications.
    — Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of largely
Adverb
  • Two years later, Wong became one of the key leaders of the city’s Umbrella Movement protests that rallied thousands of predominantly young people to the streets to call for greater democracy by blocking major thoroughfares for 79 straight days.
    — Chris Lau, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2026
  • If the night had ended after that soaring anthem, few in the heavily female and predominantly middle-aged crowd could have complained.
    — Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of predominantly
Adverb
  • Yet France’s challenges ahead are in many ways the same as California’s — most basically, just how to survive a hotter, more volatile climate with fire dangers that far exceed what was normal just a generation ago.
    — Michael Finnegan, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The concept is basically like a solar eclipse; a coronagraph blocks out the glare of a star such that anything around that star can come into focus.
    — Monisha Ravisetti, Space.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of basically
Adverb
  • This rising use of AI has principally been spurred by the evolving advances and widespread adoption of generative AI and LLMs such as ChatGPT, GPT-5, Claude, Gemini, Copilot, and others.
    — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Massachusetts should examine whether programs operating under the banner of victim services remain principally accountable to victims.
    — Laurie Myers, Boston Herald, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of principally

Browse Nearby Words

by-and-bys
by and large
by-blow
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Cite this Entry

“By and large.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/by%20and%20large. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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