verbally
adverb
ver·bal·ly
ˈvər-bə-lē 
1
a
: in words : through or by the use of words
Yet it seems whenever somebody writes about him, Sheen gets verbally slugged for not driving around in some beat-up old Chevy.—
Hal Rubenstein
Hal RubensteinIn Chapter 1 … Burge explains verbally, formally, and symbolically the system of notations to be used in the book.—Datamation
Datamation
b
: in spoken rather than written words
In the centuries before the Magna Carta, agreements were made and kept verbally.—Janeen R. Adil
Janeen R. Adil… John's will was not a written will. It was a nuncupative will, which means on his deathbed, John verbally told persons how he wanted his estate divided or dispensed.—Sharon Tate Moody
Sharon Tate Moody… is intended to express, whether verbally or in writing, or in any other way, the real process of thought.—Trewin Copplestone
Trewin CopplestoneAlthough some prospects arrive at these football factories verbally committed to a college, most are still free agents.—Bruce Feldman
Bruce Feldman
c
: with regard to words or language
Lessing has never been an elegant writer. At her better and best, she is cranky, … pleonastic, defensive, and verbally self-indulgent.—Susan Lardner
Susan LardnerSome toddlers walk early and talk late; others are verbally precocious but happily creep and crawl until the middle of the second year.—Susan Ochshorn
Susan Ochshorn2
: as a verb
a noun being used verbally
Examples of verbally in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
All the swimmers interviewed said they were verbally abused by Kang but interviews and documents also reveal a pattern of the coach allegedly targeting specific swimmers for almost daily bullying.
—Scott M. Reid, Orange County Register, 18 May 2024
Earlier this season, Ellie Davis verbally commitment to Harvard to play softball for the Crimson.
—Jim Lindgren, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 May 2024
Ask a question verbally, and the system can reply with an audio response in milliseconds, according to the company, allowing for a more fluid conversation.
—Rachel Metz, Fortune, 13 May 2024
An unidentified man approached them and began physically and verbally harassing them and throwing their belongings over the fence on the bridge, according to a statement by the Bay Area chapter of the Council for American-Islamic Relations.
—Nollyanne Delacruz, The Mercury News, 13 May 2024
Ramirez, a native of Sonora, Mexico, had a partner — not the father of her child — who was verbally abusive with her.
—Paula Soria, The Arizona Republic, 12 May 2024
The employee told police the student verbally insulted his mother and was then sent to another classroom.
—Zoe Takaki, Journal Sentinel, 10 May 2024
Alongside three of her peers from the Daily Bruin, Hamilton was verbally harassed, followed and beaten by pro-Israel counterprotesters last Wednesday when a mob attacked the encampment.
—Defne Karabatur, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2024
While De La Hoya and Álvarez verbally sparred, Munguia was smiling, hidden behind dark glasses.
—Eduard Cauich, Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2024
Scott M. Reid, Orange County Register, 18 May 2024
Earlier this season, Ellie Davis verbally commitment to Harvard to play softball for the Crimson.
—Jim Lindgren, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 May 2024
Ask a question verbally, and the system can reply with an audio response in milliseconds, according to the company, allowing for a more fluid conversation.
—Rachel Metz, Fortune, 13 May 2024
An unidentified man approached them and began physically and verbally harassing them and throwing their belongings over the fence on the bridge, according to a statement by the Bay Area chapter of the Council for American-Islamic Relations.
—Nollyanne Delacruz, The Mercury News, 13 May 2024
Ramirez, a native of Sonora, Mexico, had a partner — not the father of her child — who was verbally abusive with her.
—Paula Soria, The Arizona Republic, 12 May 2024
The employee told police the student verbally insulted his mother and was then sent to another classroom.
—Zoe Takaki, Journal Sentinel, 10 May 2024
Alongside three of her peers from the Daily Bruin, Hamilton was verbally harassed, followed and beaten by pro-Israel counterprotesters last Wednesday when a mob attacked the encampment.
—Defne Karabatur, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2024
While De La Hoya and Álvarez verbally sparred, Munguia was smiling, hidden behind dark glasses.
—Eduard Cauich, Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'verbally.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near verbally
Cite this Entry
“Verbally.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/verbally. Accessed 23 May. 2024.
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