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Glite Dictionary
🎯 Directly or firmly 🟦 In a square shape
squarely

squarely

1 3.0
In a square shape with all sides equal
  • adverb
  • /ˈskwɛrli/
translation icon : de forma cuadrada
  • Make sure to cut the pieces squarely so they fit together properly.
  • place it squarely
  • set it squarely
  • hit squarely

Examples

  • As I turn, a brilliant dazzle of orange light pans from the horizon across the sea and hits me squarely between the eyes.

    Academic text (2001)

  • She positioned the painting squarely on the wall, ensuring it was level.

  • The man puts his hat squarely on his head.

    Fiction book (1996)

  • For the most part, you cannot hit the golf ball squarely unless the face of the club is returned to a square position.

    Blog text (30)

  • My cylinder is going to sit squarely on the top of the surface of the water, all right.

  • I catch the coin squarely in my palm.

    Fiction book (1990)

  • An alert box sat squarely in the middle of his laptop's screen.

    Fiction book (2002)

  • He did sit up straight, though, planting his boots squarely on the floor.

    Fiction book (2002)

  • The table was placed squarely in the center of the room, creating a balanced look.

Synonyms

square
vssquarely
3.2

In a neat, even way with straight edges

means only forming a four-sided shape rather than acting directly or firmly

Surface Forms

squarely positive

Morphology

squarely = square (transparent) = square + ly

A straightforward adverbial formation from the adjective 'square' meaning 'in a square shape', so the meaning is directly derived.

Etymology

Squarely comes from square, the four-sided shape, so it means 'in a square way' — for example folding or cutting so the sides and corners match exactly.