Addressed to the second person singular, as in "You just don't get it," just not getting it has become virtually overnight the nation's favorite argument clincher.

The decline of coal has led to some settlements such as Denniston and Millerton becoming virtually ghost towns.

In the American South slavery had become virtually a racial caste, in which most people of any African descent were considered to be slaves.

The Taíno people became virtually, but not completely extinct on the island of Hispaniola.

Advance word has it that Ms. Kidman, in prosthetic makeup, virtually becomes the author's physical double.

Later this technique was refined in various ways and became virtually tamper proof.

The name London Docklands was used for the first time in a government report on redevelopment plans in 1971 but has since become virtually universally adopted.

The sound engineer, for example, virtually becomes her ear.

Being physically agoraphobic (mentally to the contrary) he went out only when he had to go, which had become virtually never.

Jainism enjoyed the highest repute among the people particularly the ruling classes and the mercantile community thus virtually becoming the state religion.