1
as in openly
in an honest and direct manner
you'll have to tell your relatives very plainly that you don't like perfume, or they'll keep giving it to you
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in certainly
without any question
your wife is plainly upset that you didn't invite her to the game with us
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of plainly
No, Adi kept saying, no, trying but plainly failing to explain the distinction between a government and a multinational nonprofit foundation.
—
Jonathan Miles, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
The randomness is the difference between a regime based on terror and a regime that is plainly repressive.
—M. Gessen, Mercury News, 27 Jan. 2026
Gas infrastructure spending is driving plainly unsustainable rate increases, which are worsening as customers use less gas and costs are recovered over fewer sales.
—David S. Lapp, Baltimore Sun, 26 Jan. 2026
The Church is plainly terrified by the prospect of losing its legal status in East Asia.
—E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
The most unlikely result is who speaks most plainly about the Kurds.
—Güney Yıldız, Forbes.com, 24 Jan. 2026
Leviticus has the sturdy nerve and conviction to plainly state that sometimes home and family are irredeemable and worth abandoning.
—Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 24 Jan. 2026
Following Joe Biden’s political collapse and Trump’s victory, Newsom has more plainly been playing to a wider audience.
—Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 22 Jan. 2026
In doing so, Florida officials have boxed themselves into a constitutional contradiction that is now plainly visible.
—Stephana Ferrell, The Orlando Sentinel, 21 Jan. 2026
Jonathan Miles, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
The randomness is the difference between a regime based on terror and a regime that is plainly repressive.
—M. Gessen, Mercury News, 27 Jan. 2026
Gas infrastructure spending is driving plainly unsustainable rate increases, which are worsening as customers use less gas and costs are recovered over fewer sales.
—David S. Lapp, Baltimore Sun, 26 Jan. 2026
The Church is plainly terrified by the prospect of losing its legal status in East Asia.
—E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
The most unlikely result is who speaks most plainly about the Kurds.
—Güney Yıldız, Forbes.com, 24 Jan. 2026
Leviticus has the sturdy nerve and conviction to plainly state that sometimes home and family are irredeemable and worth abandoning.
—Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 24 Jan. 2026
Following Joe Biden’s political collapse and Trump’s victory, Newsom has more plainly been playing to a wider audience.
—Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 22 Jan. 2026
In doing so, Florida officials have boxed themselves into a constitutional contradiction that is now plainly visible.
—Stephana Ferrell, The Orlando Sentinel, 21 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plainly
Adverb
-
Senior executives speak openly about the potential for better customer experience, better products, and fundamentally new business models enabled by AI.—
Peter Bendor-Samuel,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Nipple and areola changes Nipple and areola changes are extremely common postpartum, especially for breastfeeding parents—yet they’re rarely talked about openly.—
Alex Vance,
Parents,
29 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
Jessie Buckley is almost certainly going to win an Oscar come March.—
Radhika Seth,
Vogue,
12 Jan. 2026
-
Skinny Pedro must certainly have fallen victim to some kind of sorcery.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
Dozens of Bay Area mayors, councilmembers and officials signed an open letter calling for Martinez to either sincerely work to repair his relationship with the Jewish community or resign.—
Sierra Lopez,
Mercury News,
21 Jan. 2026
-
Taking a closer look at the societal environments that overshadow low-income communities must be in the equation when sincerely working to stop child abuse.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
But Arca always told me to trust him, and surely enough, the song was a hit.—
Jessica Roiz,
Billboard,
8 Jan. 2026
-
In what is surely the most pawsome news of the day, this means there's an entirely new, adorable, and totally adoptable lineup of furry players to root for.—
Lauren Huff,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
Try it plain if that’s your jam.—
Josh Miller,
Southern Living,
25 Jan. 2026
-
Unlike the other stronger shades in the palette, cool blue can be a fun alternative to plain white, especially on kitchen cabinets.—
Michele Laufik,
Martha Stewart,
19 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
And the result is definitely something to behold.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Swift has, however, hinted that her guest list will be quite large, and that one of her famous friends will almost definitely perform at the reception.—
Hannah Dailey,
Billboard,
30 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
Rather than the usual crisscross pattern, Holmes’ sweater features solid block diamonds in bold colors for a harlequin look that is honestly a breath of fresh air.—
Elizabeth Logan,
Glamour,
27 Jan. 2026
-
But honestly there’s another experience that was quite powerful.—
Jay Caspian Kang,
New Yorker,
27 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
Its simplicity was profound, and clearly the result of hours of labor and design.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Big Think helps people see the world more clearly.—
Daphne Koller,
Big Think,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Plainly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plainly. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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