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
-
The executives who will thrive in 2026 are those who understand that great storytelling is not just performance art, but strategic influence grounded in empathy, adaptability, and ruthless honesty about whether your message is landing.—
Harrison Monarth,
Forbes.com,
21 Jan. 2026
-
Video-interview tools misread autistic communication, tics, or flat affect as a lack of interest or honesty.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
21 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Know that conversations deserve deep sincerity.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
3 Jan. 2026
-
Part of what comes to me, Roxana, is my sincerity and my earnestness.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
1 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
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
Noun
-
With it, candor becomes a form of respect rather than confrontation.—
Abdo Riani,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
-
Western counterparts often acknowledge them privately, even as public backlash from some European institutions and media figures ensued against Rubio’s candor.—
Daniel Ross Goodman,
The Washington Examiner,
9 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
-
However, treating this relationship transition with kindness, directness and respect is your responsibility.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Denver Post,
13 Jan. 2026
-
While not perfect, Johnson was involved in many of Palace’s best attacking moments and brought directness and purpose, qualities that have been lacking in their game since Ismaila Sarr left just before Christmas to play for Senegal in the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations.—
Matt Woosnam,
New York Times,
5 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Candidness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/candidness. Accessed 27 Jan. 2026.
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