PLAINLY Synonyms: 91 Similar and Opposite Words

plainly

adverb

Definition of plainly

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

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

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 plainly And while reports of offset drama have gained traction, Acaster has plainly not enjoyed himself in that cloak. — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 29 Oct. 2026 The following year, a New York sportswriter named Aloysious Palma made the point plainly. — Zachary Kranc, Sun Sentinel, 27 Oct. 2026 Shoppers are being told plainly that premium pricing does not equal better results. — Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 26 Oct. 2026 Adams, usually so conciliatory, plainly voices her disgust with the unethical Mexican clinic which gave McQueen false hope, and side-eyes his late-in-life turn to Christianity. — Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 20 Oct. 2026 Date nights every other week would plainly drive up child-care costs and render average couples with two toddlers at home prostrate with envy. — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026 Put more plainly, an It-item sits at the intersection of hot and shoppable. — Joan Kennedy, Vogue, 20 Oct. 2026 Those last three words—according to circumstances—put the matter most plainly and charted the stakes of the entire war that would follow. — Literary Hub, 19 Oct. 2026 Yann LeCun, the Turing laureate who ran Meta’s AI research for a decade before leaving in November 2025 to found Advanced Machine Intelligence Labs, has been saying it plainly since 2023. — Stephen Messer, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for plainly

Adverb

Be an active listener When talking to family members about changing traditions, do your best to listen openly and without judgment to what others are saying.

— Parents, Parents, 27 Oct. 2026
The warning carries more weight in the wake of Trump’s decision to openly back Netanyahu ahead of Israel’s election.

— Hamidreza Azizi, Time, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of openly

Adverb

The sense of freedom from reading post-apocalyptic fiction aside (on the table, open for debate), writing it certainly has been a breath of fresh air.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2026
But perhaps the image of Minaj onstage will inspire the MAGA set to adopt Demna’s revamp of the house—some of the caricatural archetypes in his most recent collection certainly leaned conservative.

— José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of certainly

Adverb

The bike could surely be quite a bit lighter without the folding capability, but Lectric has made the entire Trike2 range foldable, so that's that!

— Loz Blain October 26, New Atlas, 27 Oct. 2026
Much like the Whos down in Whoville kept the spirit of Christmas alive in spite of the Grinch’s gift-stealing gambit, Halloween revelers can surely find ways to enjoy merriment on Saturday.

— The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of surely

Adverb

Lipa's Chanel couture suit and matching hat were definitely the stars of the show, so wearing her hair long and loose would have competed with the statement-making ensemble.

— Kara Nesvig, Allure, 30 Oct. 2026
But when looking at the postcodes in our data, there’s definitely a pull to the west and southwest as a primary.

— Elektra Kotsoni, Vogue, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of definitely

Adverb

Part of me thinks that friends should be able to share their feelings/perspectives honestly.

— Eric Thomas, Sun Sentinel, 27 Oct. 2026
Did the network honestly think a large portion of the college football base would not stay up for a late kickoff that came after Notre Dame played Miami, or Georgia faced Ole Miss in primetime?

— Trey Wallace OutKick, FOXNews.com, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of honestly

Adverb

Yet the reporting does not clearly distinguish between regional conditions that increase risk and findings establishing why these buildings developed mold.

— Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2026
The authors acknowledge the tax code doesn’t clearly define wagering, and neither courts nor the IRS have stated a position on whether sports event contracts count as wagers under tax law.

— Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of clearly

Browse Nearby Words

plain Janes

plainly

plainness

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“Plainly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plainly. Accessed 4 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of plainly

adverb

Example Sentences

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