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
-
That honesty was essential to the film.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Moura inhabits the raw honesty of a man caught in the heart of authoritarianism, anchoring a timely, true-story-adjacent drama.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Part of what makes it such an uneasy sit is its sincerity.—
Sarah Shachat,
IndieWire,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Kitsune distrusts systems and sincerity equally.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
However, don’t let your frankness be a hard no.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Feb. 2026
-
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
Noun
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Known for his candor, Foran once famously told reporters that most of Walmart’s stores were not up to standard, breaking with a company culture that didn’t prize such directness.—
Phil Wahba,
Fortune,
9 Feb. 2026
-
The lobby radiates the personality, warmth, and candor of a Swiss bank.—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 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
-
Known for his candor, Foran once famously told reporters that most of Walmart’s stores were not up to standard, breaking with a company culture that didn’t prize such directness.—
Phil Wahba,
Fortune,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Under the current setup, Amad has shown directness, assist threat and a willingness to get in behind the defence — attributes that translate well to FPL scoring.—
Abdul Rehman,
New York Times,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Both quarterbacks revisited that period with apparent bluntness.—
Daniel Brown,
New York Times,
1 Feb. 2026
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She’s built a career on candid takes about relationships, work and the absurdities of everyday life, delivered with her trademark mix of bluntness and charm.—
Travis Pinson,
Dallas Morning News,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Candidness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/candidness. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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