as in honesty
the free expression of one's true feelings and opinions
the refreshing bluntness of the former president in assessing those who followed him in the Oval Office
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bluntness
Both quarterbacks revisited that period with apparent bluntness.
—
Daniel Brown, New York Times, 1 Feb. 2026
She’s built a career on candid takes about relationships, work and the absurdities of everyday life, delivered with her trademark mix of bluntness and charm.
—Travis Pinson, Dallas Morning News, 29 Jan. 2026
Claxton boiled it down to the same thing, only with a player’s bluntness.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 25 Jan. 2026
What mattered was not the bluntness of the phrase, but the calm delivery.
—Robert Daugherty, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
The bluntness of her cut is on full display, with the ends turning up ever so slightly.
—Elise Tabin, InStyle, 14 Jan. 2026
This team has responded well to that bluntness.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 6 Jan. 2026
Zenovich is stunned at his bluntness.
—Erin Jensen, USA Today, 31 Dec. 2025
Lulu Garcia-Navarro, host of The New York Times show The Interview, pressed Cowell on what the line was between bluntness and humiliation.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 1 Dec. 2025
Daniel Brown, New York Times, 1 Feb. 2026
She’s built a career on candid takes about relationships, work and the absurdities of everyday life, delivered with her trademark mix of bluntness and charm.
—Travis Pinson, Dallas Morning News, 29 Jan. 2026
Claxton boiled it down to the same thing, only with a player’s bluntness.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 25 Jan. 2026
What mattered was not the bluntness of the phrase, but the calm delivery.
—Robert Daugherty, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
The bluntness of her cut is on full display, with the ends turning up ever so slightly.
—Elise Tabin, InStyle, 14 Jan. 2026
This team has responded well to that bluntness.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 6 Jan. 2026
Zenovich is stunned at his bluntness.
—Erin Jensen, USA Today, 31 Dec. 2025
Lulu Garcia-Navarro, host of The New York Times show The Interview, pressed Cowell on what the line was between bluntness and humiliation.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 1 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bluntness
Noun
-
That honesty was essential to the film.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Moura inhabits the raw honesty of a man caught in the heart of authoritarianism, anchoring a timely, true-story-adjacent drama.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Part of what makes it such an uneasy sit is its sincerity.—
Sarah Shachat,
IndieWire,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Kitsune distrusts systems and sincerity equally.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
However, don’t let your frankness be a hard no.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Feb. 2026
-
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt brushed off those comments as an example of the president’s frankness.—
Brett Samuels,
The Hill,
8 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Known for his candor, Foran once famously told reporters that most of Walmart’s stores were not up to standard, breaking with a company culture that didn’t prize such directness.—
Phil Wahba,
Fortune,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Under the current setup, Amad has shown directness, assist threat and a willingness to get in behind the defence — attributes that translate well to FPL scoring.—
Abdul Rehman,
New York Times,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
WalletHub has studied deferred interest since 2012, periodically flagging retailers that offer the loans and rating their financing offers on transparency and forthrightness.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
28 Nov. 2025
-
Monique’s penchant for forthrightness, almost to the point of abruptness, is what makes her reintegration to the cast fascinating already.—
Shamira Ibrahim,
Vulture,
24 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Known for his candor, Foran once famously told reporters that most of Walmart’s stores were not up to standard, breaking with a company culture that didn’t prize such directness.—
Phil Wahba,
Fortune,
9 Feb. 2026
-
The lobby radiates the personality, warmth, and candor of a Swiss bank.—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Her question, in Lipe-Smith’s inquisitive piccolo of a voice, is heartbreaking in its blend of straightforwardness and desperate desire, as is her mother’s wavering response.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Their outspokenness has drawn some criticism.—
Zach Schonfeld,
The Hill,
19 Nov. 2025
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Kirk's outspokenness helped dissuade those fears.—
Alex J. Rouhandeh,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bluntness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bluntness. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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