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
This is a day for speaking plainly and clearing up lingering misunderstandings.
—
Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 11 Mar. 2026
Quincy Magoo could plainly see that Darnell Nurse knocked Nathan MacKinnon straight into Connor Ingram’s noggin.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 11 Mar. 2026
Andruw Jones had put it plainly before first pitch.
—Noah Gulley, Miami Herald, 8 Mar. 2026
Fernández addressed it plainly afterward, pointing to the giveaways as the separator in a game that got away from his team early and never came back.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 5 Mar. 2026
Speak plainly so plans align and momentum returns for everyone.
—Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Feb. 2026
Councilman Steve Thoren put it more plainly.
—Gloria Casas, Chicago Tribune, 28 Feb. 2026
Related Stories Giovanni Dolci, Imax’s chief commercial officer, describes the shift plainly.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 27 Feb. 2026
Like most of his late fiction it is written plainly, yet it is shot through with passages that recall his most passionate work.
—Literary Hub, 26 Feb. 2026
Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 11 Mar. 2026
Quincy Magoo could plainly see that Darnell Nurse knocked Nathan MacKinnon straight into Connor Ingram’s noggin.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 11 Mar. 2026
Andruw Jones had put it plainly before first pitch.
—Noah Gulley, Miami Herald, 8 Mar. 2026
Fernández addressed it plainly afterward, pointing to the giveaways as the separator in a game that got away from his team early and never came back.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 5 Mar. 2026
Speak plainly so plans align and momentum returns for everyone.
—Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Feb. 2026
Councilman Steve Thoren put it more plainly.
—Gloria Casas, Chicago Tribune, 28 Feb. 2026
Related Stories Giovanni Dolci, Imax’s chief commercial officer, describes the shift plainly.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 27 Feb. 2026
Like most of his late fiction it is written plainly, yet it is shot through with passages that recall his most passionate work.
—Literary Hub, 26 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plainly
Adverb
-
Davie spoke very freely and openly ahead of his exit.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
12 Mar. 2026
-
This was back in the days when Ross openly talked, even joked with the media, back in a time when things were funny.—
Omar Kelly,
Miami Herald,
12 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
Stack is the sly and cunning one, chatty and quick to grin, unlike his brother, yet certainly with things weighing on him as well.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
16 Mar. 2026
-
Sometimes the coat is the outfit, and this one certainly meets the moment.—
Minty Mellon,
Vogue,
16 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
The back support was there, and as someone who’s five eleven, that was sincerely appreciated.—
Audrey Lee,
Architectural Digest,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Play sincerely, and let joy lead your craft.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
7 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
Other players considering San Diego State would surely notice.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Mar. 2026
-
Sabalenka surely will be looking to avenge that one as well as her 0-2 record in Indian Wells finales.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
In addition to just being plain annoying for parents, changing the clock has been correlated with an increase in heart attacks, car crashes and other ill health effects, particularly when clocks spring forward.—
Rosie Colosi,
NBC news,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Gorgeously filmed, the series can be heartbreakingly beautiful, and sometimes plain heartbreaking.—
Yvonne Villarreal,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
The most eye-catching part, however, is definitely a large flower made of fabric that sprouts out of the shoulder.—
Hannah Dailey,
Billboard,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Coming off the bench for Leo and stepping onto the court on the big stage at state, Elon Henderson definitely felt some nerves.—
Steve Millar,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
By honestly and realistically contemplating these answers and by speaking with a financial advisor or gold investing company representative, investors can tailor their gold approach to one that meets their needs and goals both this month and in the months that follow.—
Matt Richardson,
CBS News,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Factor in travel time between locations honestly — and leave buffer time for the unexpected discoveries that often end up being the highlight of the trip.—
Lauren Schuster,
Miami Herald,
10 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
The school was clearly labeled as such in online maps and has an easily accessible website full of information about students, teachers and administrators.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Offensively, the Cowboys were clearly comfortable seeing TCU’s style of defense for a third time.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
12 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Plainly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plainly. Accessed 16 Mar. 2026.
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