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Synonyms

in reality

Idioms  

  1. Actually, in fact, as in He may seem slow to you, but in reality he's very intelligent. [Second half of 1600s]

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

In reality, he was simply biding his time.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026

In reality, Lolita is the work of a man who calls himself Tom, a 32-year-old visual designer who said he did not necessarily mean for his creation to have a Roma identity.

From Barron's • Apr. 21, 2026

In reality, it is well acknowledged that there are a myriad of reasons for low sperm counts.

From Slate • Apr. 16, 2026

In reality, feelings of loneliness can change over time 'in response to shifts in personal or environmental characteristics across the lifespan'.

From Science Daily • Apr. 14, 2026

In reality, I regularly observe in New Guinea that native societies there differ greatly from each other in their prevalent outlooks.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.