as in honesty
the free expression of one's true feelings and opinions
candidness is something that we claim to admire—except when we are on the receiving end of a brutally honest assessment
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Recent Examples of candidness
The duo have become known for their candidness and light-hearted humor, frequently letting viewers in on the chaos of their real lives.
—
Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 5 Jan. 2026
The title and author are set large in a text weight of Didot, echoing the candidness of the photo and the material.
—Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 11 Dec. 2025
Angela’s candidness on the season gave viewers a glimpse into her relationship with Charles, including the aftermath of the 2017 incident at Madison Square Garden and accusations of infidelity.
—MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2025
Praised for her dry candidness and direct attitude online, Bethenny Frankel isn’t one to fall victim to a viral trend or product trap.
—Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 23 Oct. 2025
The world sees the behavior but rarely the illness behind it; this is what makes Gucci’s candidness about his journey so critical.
—Essence, 23 Oct. 2025
Such welcome candidness to questions of spirituality is enough to move even a resolute non-believer like me.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2025
The candidness and vulnerability became the catalyst for her memoir, Cancer Is Complicated, out Tuesday.
—Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 23 Sep. 2025
Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 5 Jan. 2026
The title and author are set large in a text weight of Didot, echoing the candidness of the photo and the material.
—Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 11 Dec. 2025
Angela’s candidness on the season gave viewers a glimpse into her relationship with Charles, including the aftermath of the 2017 incident at Madison Square Garden and accusations of infidelity.
—MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2025
Praised for her dry candidness and direct attitude online, Bethenny Frankel isn’t one to fall victim to a viral trend or product trap.
—Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 23 Oct. 2025
The world sees the behavior but rarely the illness behind it; this is what makes Gucci’s candidness about his journey so critical.
—Essence, 23 Oct. 2025
Such welcome candidness to questions of spirituality is enough to move even a resolute non-believer like me.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2025
The candidness and vulnerability became the catalyst for her memoir, Cancer Is Complicated, out Tuesday.
—Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 23 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for candidness
Noun
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This honesty, perhaps counterintuitively, allows for a new sense of vulnerability.—
Naomi Fry,
New Yorker,
21 Feb. 2026
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What does not depend on anything is the need for preparation, honesty and experience.—
Allen Buchanan,
Oc Register,
21 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Chinese member Jingxiang Ma describes himself as hardworking and passionate, while the youngest member, 17-year-old Kyungbae Seo, brings a mix of raw talent and sincerity that resonated with viewers.—
Rebecca Cairns,
CNN Money,
19 Feb. 2026
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But Nick has this absolute sincerity.—
Hannah Malach,
InStyle,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The cast rises to the challenge of Churchill’s rapid-fire, often overlapping dialogue, with comedic highlights including Pope Joan’s coarse frankness and Dull Gret’s unexpected interjections.—
Emily McClanathan,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Feb. 2026
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The future king addressed his personal introspective journey with frankness and awareness, an openness unusual for the royal family, which is traditionally reserved on many topics including difficult emotions and mental health.—
Stefania Conrieri,
Vanity Fair,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Those aren’t the only topics that this former child star treats with sobering candor on this album.—
Maya Georgi,
Rolling Stone,
20 Feb. 2026
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The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll speaks with surprising candor about his disappointment in his film career, underscored with a peculiar clip of Elvis being hounded by a dude in a cheesy dog costume.—
Kim Willis,
USA Today,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
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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
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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
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But a triptych of photographs that were released last month, showing Andrew apparently on the floor of Epstein’s New York town house, have a terrible directness.—
Sam Knight,
New Yorker,
16 Feb. 2026
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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
Noun
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Both quarterbacks revisited that period with apparent bluntness.—
Daniel Brown,
New York Times,
1 Feb. 2026
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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
Cite this Entry
“Candidness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/candidness. Accessed 26 Feb. 2026.
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