Collocations for "likely"
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word "likely" in context.
WordReference English Collocations © 2025
likely
ⓘMost examples are given in US English. We have labeled exceptions as UK.adj
- is the likely [winner, choice, candidate]
- is likely to [have, get, occur, cause, become, have]
- is [more, less] likely to [succeed, be]
- are more likely than not (to)
- is likely that [they will, he won't]
- is likely the [most, fastest, best]
- is likely due to
- is likely nothing (to worry about)
- [is especially, it appears, is quite] likely to
- is likely to [rain, snow, shower]
- [rain] is likely
- [rain] is more than likely
- is more than likely to
- is hardly likely (that)
- is not (very) likely
- is the [most, least] likely [scenario, possibility]
- [appears to be, looks like] the likeliest outcome
- is the likely culprit
- a likely enough [reason, excuse, alibi]
- a likely story!
- [will, would] likely [have]
- have likely [had]
- will likely [rain]
- UK: not likely!
'likely' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
actual
- affect
- appear
- arise
- arson
- avert
- benefit
- bloody
- change
- collapse
- conception
- confusion
- consequence
- contingency
- conversely
- create
- cure
- diagnosis
- die
- discourage
- dizziness
- drizzle
- enhancement
- equally
- estimate
- examine
- extremely
- female
- flurry
- forget
- fuel
- gain
- generally
- go bust
- happen
- harm
- huge
- hundred
- incur
- induce
- less
- more
- moreover
- most
- not
- opinion
- outcome
- parole
- poll
- possibility