forthrightly

adverb

as in openly
in an honest and direct manner the police commissioner forthrightly and unhesitatingly admitted his mistake

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 forthrightly Foley has been the one board member who has forthrightly stood up for oversight and accountability on every key issue. — The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 16 Apr. 2026 Coming off the ice, Malinin forthrightly congratulated the winner, Mikhail Shaidorov of Kazakhstan, as if to communicate that Shaidorov won the prize from his own efforts, not from Malinin’s failure. — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 2026 The appeals on stage spoke forthrightly about God, usually in explicitly Christian terms. — Ronald J. Hansen, AZCentral.com, 22 Sep. 2025 This absolute confidentiality helps give penitents the confidence to approach confession forthrightly, without holding back. — Timothy Gabrielli, The Conversation, 25 Aug. 2025 His exile, rather than marginalizing him, gave him the rare platform from which to speak forthrightly. — Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forthrightly
  1. openly
  2. sincerely
  3. honestly
  4. straightforward
  5. straightforwardly
  6. plainly
  7. abruptly
Adverb
  • Wednesday’s hierarchy openly predicted bumps in the road and one of them was felt on August 1, a week before the first competitive game of the new season.
    — Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Saudi Arabia and Turkey — two nations that have been openly hostile toward one another for much of the last decade — pledged to go to war in each other’s defense.
    — Fareed Zakaria, Washington Post, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of openly
Adverb
  • Colquitt sincerely believes that her work can restore the dignity too often denied people in their last days.
    — John Semley, Harpers Magazine, 28 July 2026
  • But the results and the action on the field were second to the experience for Baldwin, who was sincerely present in the moment during the two days of All-Star Game activities.
    — Chad Bishop, AJC.com, 15 July 2026
Definition of sincerely
Adverb
  • This will only lead to unproductive conflict − and, honestly, that's what a lot of narcissists want anyway.
    — Charles Trepany, USA Today, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Parks honestly thinks the Crusaders have the chops to win back-to-back state titles.
    — Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of honestly
Adverb
  • Through a layered and deeply nuanced performance, Cardellini transforms what could have been a straightforward femme fatale into a fiercely compelling protagonist.
    — Dana Feldman, Forbes.com, 8 June 2026
  • The mix’s seasoning veers straightforward and notably doesn’t list horseradish.
    — Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 20 Jan. 2026
Definition of straightforward
Adverb
  • While the use of AI in the filmmaking process remains a delicate topic in Hollywood, Wall Street has a more straightforwardly Darwinian view.
    — Dade Hayes, Deadline, 12 Aug. 2026
  • In her final Facebook post, Josée straightforwardly leaves a link to the time and place of her funeral.
    — Sai Rajagopal, STAT, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of straightforwardly
Adverb
  • The new honest answer is what that telecom architect put plainly.
    — Chris Wade, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • The leaders of the AI revolution are telling us plainly that human skills will command a premium.
    — Dr. Alan Kadish, New York Daily News, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of plainly
Adverb
  • In a lawsuit filed in Denver District Court, first reported by industry publication Current, the station claims its access was abruptly cut off earlier this year by Open Source Storage (OSS).
    — Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 15 Aug. 2026
  • All five were hammered the following month as the AI trade abruptly reversed, helping push the fund to the brink and forcing it to unload much of its public-equity portfolio to Citadel.
    — Yun Li, CNBC, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of abruptly

Browse Nearby Words

forthright
forthrightly
forthrightness
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Cite this Entry

“Forthrightly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forthrightly. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.

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