as in honesty
the free expression of one's true feelings and opinions
his directness is much appreciated by his patients
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of directness
In that video, her performance seemed oriented toward showcasing technical ability, overriding the song’s directness with display.
—
Emma Madden, Pitchfork, 28 Apr. 2026
This is the meeting of the messenger planet and the taskmaster, let alone in the zodiac’s most fearless sign, setting the stage for a transit that cuts right through the fluff, forcing truth and directness.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 20 Apr. 2026
Beneath those explicit instructions, personality is also shaped by reinforcement learning from human feedback, a process in which human raters reward certain qualities such as warmth, directness and caution, and penalize unwanted behaviors.
—Tamilla Triantoro, The Conversation, 13 Apr. 2026
The directness with which the camera meets the eyes of the film’s subjects suggests compassion for their disfigurement and isolation (indeed, Farrokhzad adopted a boy from the colony), but there are no interviews.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for directness
Emma Madden, Pitchfork, 28 Apr. 2026
This is the meeting of the messenger planet and the taskmaster, let alone in the zodiac’s most fearless sign, setting the stage for a transit that cuts right through the fluff, forcing truth and directness.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 20 Apr. 2026
Beneath those explicit instructions, personality is also shaped by reinforcement learning from human feedback, a process in which human raters reward certain qualities such as warmth, directness and caution, and penalize unwanted behaviors.
—Tamilla Triantoro, The Conversation, 13 Apr. 2026
The directness with which the camera meets the eyes of the film’s subjects suggests compassion for their disfigurement and isolation (indeed, Farrokhzad adopted a boy from the colony), but there are no interviews.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for directness
Recent Examples of Synonyms for directness
Noun
-
The qualities that sustain healthy families, including honesty, accountability, forgiveness, and sacrifice, cannot be purchased or given.—
David H. Rosmarin,
Time,
10 June 2026
-
The focus was on honesty in materials and construction, simple forms, and harmonious indoor-outdoor spaces, with plenty of room left over for personal flourishes that reflected the spirit of the site and lifestyle of the young family, including their 5-year-old daughter, Stevie.—
Wendy Bowman,
Robb Report,
9 June 2026
Noun
-
The piece has to throb and, well, that is not the first verb that comes to mind in director Jonathan Butterell’s production, with all due respect for the sincerity of the effort and the intermittent effectiveness of the storytelling.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
5 June 2026
-
But in those cases and others, the defendants took concrete steps that demonstrated their sincerity and conscious awareness of the threatening nature of their speech.—
Wayne Unger,
The Conversation,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
Seydoux asks me in a moment of frankness.—
Daniel D'Addario,
Variety,
18 May 2026
-
Her love for the city is palpable, imbued with her frankness, her fun, her queerness, and her history.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Slot, as head coach, was more of a middle manager; someone who acted with the objectivity of a civil servant and the occasional bluntness of a corrections officer.—
Simon Hughes,
New York Times,
30 May 2026
-
Rise and fall But Healy, with her characteristic bluntness, didn’t sugar-coat what happened to that law.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
22 May 2026
Noun
-
Your forthrightness will set the tone for future dates.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
6 June 2026
-
There’s something both startling and seductive about such forthrightness.—
Jeremy Lybarger,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
Mary Gaitskill is particularly good at this ideal combination of straightforwardness and pithiness.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Her question, in Lipe-Smith’s inquisitive piccolo of a voice, is heartbreaking in its blend of straightforwardness and desperate desire, as is her mother’s wavering response.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
None of his previous attempts at candor have garnered the same public response as the intimacy – and immediacy – of his online posts.—
Jay Stahl,
USA Today,
6 June 2026
-
Nessel discussed political realities with a candor rare among public officials.—
Andrew Cockburn,
Harpers Magazine,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Directness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/directness. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
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