overtly
adverb
overt·ly
ō-ˈvərt-lē 
ˈō-(ˌ)vərt-
: in an overt manner : in a way that is open, straightforward, or obvious
an overtly hostile remark
an overtly political message
… the fashion of dumbing down the public discourse was over. Being overtly brainy, simply being oneself, was back in style.—
Elizabeth Drew
Elizabeth DrewIn the late 1860's interest gradually waned in landscape paintings that overtly conveyed nationalistic, philosophical, and religious meanings.—Franklin Kelly
Franklin KellyIt is now easier for French writers to write more overtly about the occupation because their country is now stressing reconciliation, forgiveness for whatever wrongs were done then …—Barbara Probst Solomon
Barbara Probst SolomonExamples of overtly in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Instant espresso granules subtly enhance the chocolate flavor without being overtly coffee-like.
—Amanda Holstein, Southern Living, 26 Nov. 2025
Trump’s America and recent widespread, overtly racist gestures against Mexico and Mexicans only exacerbate this power differential.
—Rachel Whalen, Vogue, 19 Nov. 2025
One thing that was extraordinarily demoralizing about this process was that we got rejected from every mainstream festival that wasn’t overtly LGBTQ.
—Abbey White, HollywoodReporter, 10 Nov. 2025
No World Cup has been less about the self-aggrandizement of the hosts and yet no World Cup has ever been so overtly political as the 1938 tournament, as exiles from Germany and Italy took the opportunity to make very public their opposition to fascism.
—Literary Hub, 7 Nov. 2025
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Amanda Holstein, Southern Living, 26 Nov. 2025
Trump’s America and recent widespread, overtly racist gestures against Mexico and Mexicans only exacerbate this power differential.
—Rachel Whalen, Vogue, 19 Nov. 2025
One thing that was extraordinarily demoralizing about this process was that we got rejected from every mainstream festival that wasn’t overtly LGBTQ.
—Abbey White, HollywoodReporter, 10 Nov. 2025
No World Cup has been less about the self-aggrandizement of the hosts and yet no World Cup has ever been so overtly political as the 1938 tournament, as exiles from Germany and Italy took the opportunity to make very public their opposition to fascism.
—Literary Hub, 7 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for overtly
Cite this Entry
“Overtly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overtly. Accessed 8 Dec. 2025.
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