1
as in outspoken
free in expressing one's true feelings and opinions
she sometimes was a little too forthright for her own good and ended up saying things that inadvertently offended people
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in straightforward
going straight to the point clearly and firmly
I appreciate your forthright explanation of the situation
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of forthright
And his team discouraged the participation of any Democratic candidate not named Biden, while being far from forthright about his striking decline.
—
Amy Davidson Sorkin, New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2026
The introduction encouraged the writer to not hold back when answering questions, advice that Sarah, with her blunt, forthright style, didn’t really need.
—Gerald Witt, AJC.com, 1 Mar. 2026
Even a manager as forthright as Sean Dyche was doing it on the touchline at Nottingham Forest.
—Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 1 Mar. 2026
If your goal is to get at the truth, or at least our closest approximation of it at the present time, the way to do that is to be scrupulous and forthright about the strengths and weaknesses of every link in your chain of argument.
—Big Think, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for forthright
Amy Davidson Sorkin, New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2026
The introduction encouraged the writer to not hold back when answering questions, advice that Sarah, with her blunt, forthright style, didn’t really need.
—Gerald Witt, AJC.com, 1 Mar. 2026
Even a manager as forthright as Sean Dyche was doing it on the touchline at Nottingham Forest.
—Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 1 Mar. 2026
If your goal is to get at the truth, or at least our closest approximation of it at the present time, the way to do that is to be scrupulous and forthright about the strengths and weaknesses of every link in your chain of argument.
—Big Think, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for forthright
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forthright
Adjective
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Oberst has, of course, been a frank and outspoken critic of the state of America dating back to his band’s ascent in the early aughts.—
Steven J. Horowitz,
Variety,
26 May 2026
-
However, some who have been outspoken on automation were met with public backlash.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
26 May 2026
Adjective
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Osaka’s tennis shone, too, in a 6-3, 7-6(3) win that felt straightforward considering Siegemund’s ability to knock opponents off rhythm with her awkward, slice-laden game and use of tennis’ dark arts.—
Ava Wallace,
New York Times,
28 May 2026
-
His pitching performance was less straightforward.—
Maddie Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
28 May 2026
Adjective
-
And to be honest, my biggest fear is AI.—
Steve Banker,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2026
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According to an Axios-Ipsos poll released in 2025, more than 70% of Americans believe that most politicians aren’t honest about their health.—
Rebecca Schneid,
Time,
30 May 2026
Adjective
-
There’s a sense internally that Wirtz’s adaptation to English football was made tougher by his arrival at a time when the Premier League was becoming more physical, more direct and more about set-plays.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
28 May 2026
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Its own members also would have more direct supervision from the Oakland City Council, undermining a key aspect of its independence.—
Jakob Rodgers,
Mercury News,
28 May 2026
Adjective
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The official spoke on condition of anonymity to offer more candid remarks.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
31 May 2026
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At the station, the officers processing her were captured in a candid moment that Longoria says reveals what was really happening.—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA Today,
30 May 2026
Adjective
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Various dolls populate the boxes, which occupy a trio of plinths arranged in a straight line.—
Theo Belci,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
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With the goal, Ijeh has landed on the scoresheet in three straight matches.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2026
Adjective
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Both actors are incandescent and the chemistry between them is off the charts, and Calvani is even more adorable this season as the demonstrative and frank Italian who longs for his homeland.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
28 May 2026
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Nickolas Spiliotopoulos, a rising senior studying political science at the University of California, Santa Barbara, who leads the campus chapter of PauseAI US, said his chapter emphasizes open and frank discussion about AI’s impacts.—
Jared Perlo,
NBC news,
28 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Forthright.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forthright. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.
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