as in honesty
the free expression of one's true feelings and opinions
considering her reputation for frankness, I knew she would tell me what she really thought of my dress
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Recent Examples of frankness
Seydoux asks me in a moment of frankness.
—
Daniel D'addario, Variety, 18 May 2026
Her love for the city is palpable, imbued with her frankness, her fun, her queerness, and her history.
—Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Apr. 2026
In the case of non-professionals, especially children, generosity should prevail over frankness.
—Judith Martin, Mercury News, 14 Apr. 2026
Fulmer also delivers some comedic moments as Alycia, whose fast-talking frankness can be quite funny, albeit tone-deaf at times.
—Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
Her emotional frankness has also translated into measurable commercial impact.
—Amy Francombe, Vogue, 4 Mar. 2026
From a cultural perspective, William's frankness is a significant development.
—Stefania Conrieri, Vanity Fair, 20 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
Their frankness and loyalty are also notable when the call is in.
—Lisa Stardust, PEOPLE, 23 Nov. 2025
Daniel D'addario, Variety, 18 May 2026
Her love for the city is palpable, imbued with her frankness, her fun, her queerness, and her history.
—Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Apr. 2026
In the case of non-professionals, especially children, generosity should prevail over frankness.
—Judith Martin, Mercury News, 14 Apr. 2026
Fulmer also delivers some comedic moments as Alycia, whose fast-talking frankness can be quite funny, albeit tone-deaf at times.
—Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
Her emotional frankness has also translated into measurable commercial impact.
—Amy Francombe, Vogue, 4 Mar. 2026
From a cultural perspective, William's frankness is a significant development.
—Stefania Conrieri, Vanity Fair, 20 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
Their frankness and loyalty are also notable when the call is in.
—Lisa Stardust, PEOPLE, 23 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for frankness
Noun
-
Miller also addresses contemporary politics, the recent presidential election and how honesty is in flux in our country.—
Fiction Non Fiction,
Literary Hub,
21 May 2026
-
Intellectual honesty requires acknowledging that the United States is not Weimar Germany or Eastern Europe’s Pale of Settlement, where deadly pogroms against Jews were a regular feature of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.—
Michael W. Sonnenfeldt,
The Atlantic,
20 May 2026
Noun
-
His sincerity is real, his appreciation – for his fans, his band, his crew – is frequently spoken and his music is a continuous Choose Your Own Adventure game.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
17 May 2026
-
In an age of global political unrest, a news cycle saturated with mass shootings and gun violence on the streets of America, sincerity feels like a relief.—
Sarah Wang,
PEOPLE,
16 May 2026
Noun
-
In that video, her performance seemed oriented toward showcasing technical ability, overriding the song’s directness with display.—
Emma Madden,
Pitchfork,
28 Apr. 2026
-
This is the meeting of the messenger planet and the taskmaster, let alone in the zodiac’s most fearless sign, setting the stage for a transit that cuts right through the fluff, forcing truth and directness.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
If a culture prizes bluntness, ask where honesty has been missing.—
Sarah DaVanzo,
Rolling Stone,
11 May 2026
-
But the bluntness of the lyrics arrives just as quickly, undercutting the atmosphere by naming too plainly what the music had already begun to evoke with greater force.—
Emma Madden,
Pitchfork,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
To say we are disappointed by the lack of urgency and forthrightness from the city attorney’s office is an understatement.—
City News Service,
Daily News,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Fortune spoke with six people who have invested in Anthropic to get a sense of how this key constituency is feeling about the situation, and found that opinions were not unified despite the company’s longstanding forthrightness about its values.—
Jessica Mathews,
Fortune,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Unlike many diplomats and aid officials, Zeid speaks with unusual candor.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
16 May 2026
-
Celebrity candor has helped accelerate these conversations into the mainstream.—
Aisha Alves,
Rolling Stone,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
Some athletes early in this era proved that charisma and candidness coupled with their athletic skills could be highly lucrative.—
Chantel Jennings,
New York Times,
10 Mar. 2026
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Frankness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frankness. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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