as in openly
in an honest and direct manner
straightforwardly yet compassionately, the doctor tells his cancer patients what their odds for survival are
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of straightforwardly
Now, fresh off one of the most straightforwardly terrible albums of the decade, here comes the Muse Mothership again.
—
Liam Inscoe-Jones,
Pitchfork,
1 July 2026
Perhaps the cleanest rebuke of noisy nativism would be for England to win, and, if Tuchel can take that final step that eluded Southgate, he’ll be immortalized, too—perhaps in a prestige miniseries of his own, and a more straightforwardly triumphal one at that.
—
Jon Allsop,
New Yorker,
18 June 2026
What that means is barely explained in the show’s opening arc, which is more straightforwardly rendered than the increasingly surreal final episodes, yet already a strange work rife with symbolism and abstract visual storytelling.
—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
12 June 2026
Another was more straightforwardly hopeful, expressing a wish to see Iran progress in the tournament and a belief that success on the pitch might, however tentatively, cut across political divisions.
—
Shirvin Zeinalzadeh,
The Conversation,
11 June 2026
Lily Allen, Jack Whitehall and Timothy Spall also star in Tina Gharavi's SXSW London opener, which refashions Woolf's diffuse, ruminative feminist novel into a straightforwardly inspirational tale.
—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
3 June 2026
The slapstick titles—Crackned Horsez, To of Them, Ape Island, all 1972—further stymied any straightforwardly polemical takeaway.
—
Jeremy Lybarger,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
The hero of Vidal’s novel is straightforwardly based on Hearst, while the wealthy, castle-dwelling Californian in Huxley’s novel bears a more veiled, but still unmistakable, resemblance to him.
—
Literary Hub,
21 May 2026
While there could be ways around that prohibition—like using the 25th Amendment to temporarily step down from the presidency and then have the vice president pardon the president—presidents could not straightforwardly issue a pardon to themselves, the Nixon-era DOJ wrote.
—
Alison Durkee,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2026
Liam Inscoe-Jones,
Pitchfork,
1 July 2026
Perhaps the cleanest rebuke of noisy nativism would be for England to win, and, if Tuchel can take that final step that eluded Southgate, he’ll be immortalized, too—perhaps in a prestige miniseries of his own, and a more straightforwardly triumphal one at that.
—
Jon Allsop,
New Yorker,
18 June 2026
What that means is barely explained in the show’s opening arc, which is more straightforwardly rendered than the increasingly surreal final episodes, yet already a strange work rife with symbolism and abstract visual storytelling.
—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
12 June 2026
Another was more straightforwardly hopeful, expressing a wish to see Iran progress in the tournament and a belief that success on the pitch might, however tentatively, cut across political divisions.
—
Shirvin Zeinalzadeh,
The Conversation,
11 June 2026
Lily Allen, Jack Whitehall and Timothy Spall also star in Tina Gharavi's SXSW London opener, which refashions Woolf's diffuse, ruminative feminist novel into a straightforwardly inspirational tale.
—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
3 June 2026
The slapstick titles—Crackned Horsez, To of Them, Ape Island, all 1972—further stymied any straightforwardly polemical takeaway.
—
Jeremy Lybarger,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
The hero of Vidal’s novel is straightforwardly based on Hearst, while the wealthy, castle-dwelling Californian in Huxley’s novel bears a more veiled, but still unmistakable, resemblance to him.
—
Literary Hub,
21 May 2026
While there could be ways around that prohibition—like using the 25th Amendment to temporarily step down from the presidency and then have the vice president pardon the president—presidents could not straightforwardly issue a pardon to themselves, the Nixon-era DOJ wrote.
—
Alison Durkee,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for straightforwardly
Adverb
-
Both of the soon-to-be newlyweds have talked openly about wanting to have kids.
-
On top of that, Kelce appeared on the cover of GQ magazine and spoke openly about his and Swift’s relationship for the first time with a major publication.
Adverb
-
Here was a government that had explicitly borrowed from Beijing’s developmental playbook and sincerely attempted to imitate it, but failed.
-
My favorite depictions of this city know its real history is too cuckoo to capture sincerely; straight reenactments make the production of 35mm masterpieces look as piddly as Shrinky Dinks.
Adverb
-
The Shape-Shifter Impostor syndrome rarely announces itself plainly.
-
Thirteen years later, in a 1973 feature for Backpacker magazine, Saijo put it plainly.
Adverb
-
Goddard says simply closing the blinds or drapes during the day to keep the sun out can lower the temperature of upper floors.
-
To release it, simply pull it apart, combining the convenience of magnetic attachment with the confidence of a physical locking mechanism.
Adverb
-
Foley has been the one board member who has forthrightly stood up for oversight and accountability on every key issue.
-
Coming off the ice, Malinin forthrightly congratulated the winner, Mikhail Shaidorov of Kazakhstan, as if to communicate that Shaidorov won the prize from his own efforts, not from Malinin’s failure.
Adverb
-
Last week, the president abruptly canceled a housing bill signing ceremony, blocking the legislation from immediately becoming law.
-
Once a promising middle-of-the-order threat with the Cubs, Morel's offensive regression intensified in Miami, ending the experiment abruptly.
Adverb
-
Professionals who communicate honestly, understand emotions, recognize their unique value, and consistently earn trust will thrive.
-
Budget honestly for a setup that typically runs $500 to $2,000 before recurring feed and bedding costs.
Adverb
-
In some spots, the history is just plain wrong.
-
Following them was Ramón, 15, pulling along two suitcases, one was plain dark green and the other had a Betty Boop theme; and Magdalena, the children’s mother and Angel’s grandmother.
Cite this Entry
“Straightforwardly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/straightforwardly. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
