How to Use lightly in a Sentence
lightly
adverb
- She moved lightly across the room.
- The judge let her off lightly with a short sentence.
- He talks lightly about the problems he's been having at work.
- Our troops were armed too lightly to take on the heavily armed invaders.
- Considering the harm he did, he's gotten off lightly with only a warning.
- These vegetables can be eaten either raw or lightly cooked.
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Lift the legs to the right up and over the medicine ball to tap the heels lightly on the other side.
—
Jennifer Nied,
Women's Health,
30 Aug. 2023
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Let the soup sit in the pot to melt the cheese and lightly cook the asparagus, about 1 minute.
—
Ronna Welsh,
Washington Post,
24 May 2023
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The plane went down in a lightly wooded area close to a field.
—
Aliza Chasan,
CBS News,
6 June 2023
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Add the achiote and spices and toast lightly, about 30 seconds.
—
Kate Bradshaw,
The Mercury News,
2 Feb. 2024
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The fish is lightly battered in the same cornmeal that coats the frickles and okra.
—
Jenn Harris,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Oct. 2023
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Later in the show, the rocker walked off the stage and lightly punched the concertgoer in the face.
—
Sadie Bell,
Peoplemag,
11 Oct. 2023
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Place under the broiler for a few minutes to melt the cheese and lightly brown.
—
Susan Selasky,
Detroit Free Press,
8 Mar. 2024
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Line a sheet-pan with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray or oil.
—
Kim Sunée,
Anchorage Daily News,
30 June 2023
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Add a handful of the greens and season lightly with salt and pepper.
—
Ali Slagle,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Nov. 2023
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Place in a lightly greased bowl, turning once to grease surface of dough.
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Bhg Test Kitchen,
Better Homes & Gardens,
4 Feb. 2024
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With your hands, toss the butter in the flour until each piece is lightly coated.
—
The View,
ABC News,
22 Nov. 2023
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To say that September is a bad month for stocks is putting it lightly.
—
Bywill Daniel,
Fortune,
6 Sep. 2023
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Fill ramekins: Divide the crab mixture among the crab tins or ramekins, patting the tops lightly to smooth.
—
Sean Brock,
Southern Living,
6 June 2023
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Spray it on or use crafts glue to lightly dot the Q-tips and shake the glitter on your six-pointed creations.
—
Sharon Greenthal,
Better Homes & Gardens,
17 Nov. 2023
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Two trucks were damaged and a driver lightly wounded, the ICRC said.
—
James Hookway,
WSJ,
9 Nov. 2023
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All-purpose flour: To lightly coat the zucchini and give the egg something to adhere to.
—
Julia Levy,
Southern Living,
7 Aug. 2023
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The bra’s cups are lightly padded and gave us a flattering shape and lift across a variety of sizes.
—
Cai Cramer,
Peoplemag,
16 May 2023
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The judges lightly jabbed at Russell for seeming quiet and shy.
—
Wesley Stenzel,
EW.com,
25 Feb. 2024
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Drain off any water remaining in the dish, toss the carrots with salt, and lightly coat with olive oil.
—
Karla Walsh,
Better Homes & Gardens,
15 Feb. 2024
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At either end of the tube, score the paper lightly without cutting through.
—
Paula Sutton,
Vogue,
23 Dec. 2023
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Combine egg and brown sugar in a small heat-proof bowl, and whisk lightly to combine.
—
Kim Sunée,
Anchorage Daily News,
28 July 2023
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From a lightly golden color to its distinctive aroma, the creamy treat is the essence of spring.
—
Jen Rose Smith,
CNN,
6 June 2023
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And yes, this is a pretty tough gig, lightly roasting a room full of sensitive celebs who are (for the most part) not game.
—
Marlow Stern,
Rolling Stone,
8 Jan. 2024
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Season the contents of the pan lightly with salt and pepper; cook for a minute or two, checking to see that all the salmon is cooked through, then remove from the heat.
—
Bonnie S. Benwick,
Charlotte Observer,
31 Jan. 2024
Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lightly.' 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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