How to Use otherwise in a Sentence

otherwise

1 of 2 adverb
Definition of otherwisenext
Synonyms for otherwisenext
  • All of the books had been burned or otherwise destroyed.
  • I didn't like the ending, but otherwise it was a very good book.
  • The women talked in the living room while the men were otherwise occupied.
  • Art allows us to express things that we would not be able to express otherwise.
  • Something must be wrong; otherwise, he would have called.
  • One of the boys has a freckle on his cheek. Otherwise, the twins are nearly identical.
  • The test helps identify problems that might otherwise go unnoticed.
  • But the ranges of scores among the same group of students shows otherwise.
    — Sarah Freishtat, Aurora Beacon-News, 27 Oct. 2017
  • The notes are otherwise unchanged from the designs used for the late Queen.
    — Bailey Richards, Peoplemag, 18 July 2023
  • Each of those is a rental unit that a Utahn could otherwise call home.
    — Robert Gehrke, The Salt Lake Tribune, 25 Feb. 2022
  • Maybe that's good for a win or two down the stretch that might not have otherwise been there.
    — Rahat Huq, Chron, 14 Feb. 2022
  • The entire Northeast will otherwise be cool and windy to start the week.
    — Brandon Noriega, Fox News, 2 Nov. 2020
  • There’s a pool, but otherwise the focus here is the scenery and the cuisine.
    — Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 9 June 2022
  • The Sox otherwise didn’t have an extra-base hit in the series.
    — BostonGlobe.com, 19 Aug. 2021
  • Most patients were otherwise healthy and in their late teens and 20s.
    — Knvul Sheikh, New York Times, 26 Dec. 2019
  • Otherwise, the Tigers will be easy marks for good passing teams.
    — Edgar Thompson, OrlandoSentinel.com, 5 July 2017
  • But otherwise this is not the time to start a new Brio or Johnny Carino’s.
    — Bud Kennedy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Jan. 2024
  • Mykael Wright gave up one big play but was good otherwise.
    — oregonlive, 15 Nov. 2020
  • The Sun Devils will get a chance to prove otherwise with the postseason here.
    — Michelle Gardner, The Arizona Republic, 14 May 2023
  • Nor is bread, stale or otherwise, salty foods or moldy stuff.
    — Jeff Lowenfels, Anchorage Daily News, 22 Oct. 2020
  • The hospice is designed to care for people who might otherwise die on the streets.
    — Cynthia Hubert, sacbee, 16 May 2018
  • Plans call for all events, virtual and otherwise, to be free and open to the public.
    — Ryan Patrick Hooper, Detroit Free Press, 15 Apr. 2021
  • Breezy in the morning; otherwise, times of clouds and sun with a shower in places in the afternoon.
    — The Enquirer, 13 June 2023
  • It was well set up to build a glacier in what is otherwise a hot, dry place — from a glacier’s point of view, anyway.
    — Carisa Cegavske, oregonlive, 29 Dec. 2021
  • But otherwise, what was there for Djokovic to be disturbed about?
    — Howard Fendrich and Jerome Pugmire, SFChronicle.com, 29 Sep. 2020
  • This is a space for some of the news and issues that might otherwise go unnoticed.
    — Scott Wartman, Cincinnati.com, 26 Oct. 2017
  • Two young men sat next to it, around a fire, in an otherwise pitch-dark street, their feet covered in mud and clothes in dust.
    — Jomana Karadsheh, CNN, 15 Sep. 2023
  • Hubble uses that time to slew to the next target, and otherwise get ready.
    — Lee Billings, Scientific American, 11 July 2022
  • Many parts of the forest are blocked by trees or will otherwise remain closed.
    — oregonlive, 25 Sep. 2020
  • Corkins says both children are otherwise healthy enough to be at home.
    — Brenda Goodman, CNN, 19 May 2022
Advertisement

otherwise

2 of 2 adjective
  • If conditions were otherwise, I wouldn't be so worried.
  • The best looks in the otherwise play-it-safe collection were classic Miyake styles.
    — Thomas Adamson, ajc, 30 Sep. 2022
  • For much of the summer and fall our otherwise blue skies maybe tainted with a dirty, hazy pall of orange from flames a thousand miles away.
    — Todd Nelson, Star Tribune, 11 July 2021
  • The kitchen has dark cabinets that accent the otherwise white walls throughout.
    — Dallas News, 30 Oct. 2020
  • And why the sprinkling of fiction in an otherwise nonfiction book?
    — Ling Ma, Wired, 17 Nov. 2020
  • Fanning softened the otherwise sultry look with a simple sweep of light pink blush and a matching lip.
    — Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 22 Apr. 2022
  • Use chocolate in your otherwise savory spiced nuts or crostini for a perfect blend of salty, spicy and sweet.
    — Laura Wheatman Hill, chicagotribune.com, 17 Apr. 2021
  • The islands act like a comb that gather debris on its otherwise pristine beaches.
    — Elinor Aspegren, USA TODAY, 23 Apr. 2021
  • Then after the otherwise garden variety Cactus League game, Frelick had a tough time wiping the grin off his face while speaking to the media on the field.
    — Todd Rosiak, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 22 Mar. 2022
  • Notably, the smooth saxophone glided through the robust band, standing out among the otherwise head-banging song.
    — Griffin Wiles, The Indianapolis Star, 25 June 2022
  • In the Trans-Pecos region where we were headed, a chain of mountain ranges provides humid and elevated refuges in the otherwise arid and flat Chihuahuan Desert.
    — Marion Renault, The New Republic, 20 Dec. 2021
  • The islands act like a comb, gathering debris on its otherwise pristine beaches.
    — Caleb Jones, Star Tribune, 30 Apr. 2021
  • Fatigue might have contributed to her breaking an ankle on an otherwise minor fall last spring.
    — David Wharton, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2019
  • But that was the one moment of protest in an otherwise air-tight medley celebrating Dre-style hip-hop and L.A. positivity.
    — Jem Aswad, Variety, 13 Feb. 2022
  • Its pine-shaded avenues are a shock of green on the otherwise arid steppe, lined with chocolate factories, barbecue restaurants, and gift shops that sell bittersweet jams made from the berry of the town's namesake plant.
    — Mark Johanson, Travel + Leisure, 23 Apr. 2022
  • There seems little question that the otherwise stillness and purity of silence on your street is going to be usurped by those that own and are operating their self-driving cars.
    — Lance Eliot, Forbes, 10 Oct. 2021
  • The only cactus-prickly problem for an otherwise championship-worthy stage was the track itself.
    — Michael Knight, The Arizona Republic, 13 Mar. 2021
  • Occasional bumps arise from having the tires go over a rough patch on the highway, providing an almost welcome respite from the otherwise tedium and boredom of this driving trek.
    — Lance Eliot, Forbes, 6 Sep. 2021
  • The small, handheld device can be customized with an app to add heat, cryotherapy, vibrations, and LED lights to your otherwise basic skincare routine.
    — Medea Giordano, Wired, 27 Nov. 2020
  • Each of those three districts include at least one heavily African-American area in an otherwise majority-white district, the suit says.
    — Ivana Hrynkiw | Ihrynkiw@al.com, al, 6 Nov. 2019
  • Prairie dresses add a feminine touch to your otherwise masculine Western wardrobe.
    — Laura Jackson, Vogue, 25 Aug. 2022
  • Additionally, Colegrove noted and photographed each tuft of pale fur, a dollop of cream on an otherwise coffee and cinnamon pelt.
    — Elizabeth Miller, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Mar. 2022
  • Tokyo organizers have said some Olympic and government officials and sponsors would be allowed at the otherwise spectator-free venues.
    — Rachel Bachman, WSJ, 20 July 2021
  • This might help to overcome the otherwise wanton avid capturing of daily activities that are not particularly crucial to the driving of the vehicle.
    — Lance Eliot, Forbes, 15 Apr. 2021
  • The lip oils' signature fragrances include 8 percent precious sandalwood, which is used to counterbalance their otherwise fruity notes.
    — Tiffany Dodson, Harper's BAZAAR, 18 Apr. 2022
  • Home Depot reported sales growth that was more than double the already brisk rate analysts had been expecting, but rising expenses meant flat margins in an otherwise standout quarter.
    — BostonGlobe.com, 18 Aug. 2020
  • Until pretty recently, endorsing the death penalty has been a weirdly un-liberal carve-out position taken by some otherwise blue politicians.
    — Los Angeles Times, 8 Feb. 2022
  • If conditions were otherwise, I wouldn't be so worried.
  • The best looks in the otherwise play-it-safe collection were classic Miyake styles.
    — Thomas Adamson, ajc, 30 Sep. 2022
  • For much of the summer and fall our otherwise blue skies maybe tainted with a dirty, hazy pall of orange from flames a thousand miles away.
    — Todd Nelson, Star Tribune, 11 July 2021

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'otherwise.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Last Updated: