narrowly
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
by a very small amount or distance; almost not happening.
by a slim margin or only just; frequently used with verbs of success, failure, or avoidance.
Simple“The driver narrowly missed the cyclist when he turned the corner.”
In context“The incumbent candidate narrowly won the election after a tense recount of the ballots in the final three districts.”
Antonyms - 02 C1 Advanced
looking at or defining something in a very strict or limited way.
in a restricted or limited manner; without flexibility or broad interpretation.
Simple“The law was narrowly defined to only include specific types of businesses.”
In context“The committee interpreted the regulations so narrowly that many deserving applicants were automatically excluded from the grant process.”
Synonyms
Usage narrowly focus
“Currently, the House is narrowly controlled by the Republican Party.”
“Greg Docherty exploded a drive through a crowd that Antonin Kinsky did well to save while Nathan Asiimwe headed narrowly off target.”
From Middle English narowly, equivalent to narrow + -ly.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.