as in openly
in an honest and direct manner
the police commissioner forthrightly and unhesitatingly admitted his mistake
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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
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
Adverb
-
Last fall, former Chief Floyd Mitchell openly criticized the stringent nature of federal court oversight while resigning from the department after just a year and a half on the job, leaving the agency searching for a new leader for at least the 10th time since 2015.—
Jakob Rodgers,
Mercury News,
28 May 2026
-
Saalt leaned heavily into tutorials, quizzes, blogs, TikTok Lives, and social storytelling to answer consumer questions openly and directly.—
Tanya Benedicto Klich,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
Adverb
-
Basically, no matter how soap-y the show gets, Akerman permits the audience to buy into and sincerely enjoy the Hunting Wives ridiculousness.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
29 May 2026
-
Take a few extra moments to double-check your space, thank your host sincerely, and leave on a warm, unhurried note.—
Jamie Cuccinelli,
Martha Stewart,
22 May 2026
Adverb
-
The experience was short, intense, exhilarating and, honestly, a little nauseating.—
Mariama Boney,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
-
Trust is probably the most important one, and honestly the hardest to earn.—
Rancho Santa Fe Review,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 May 2026
Adverb
-
The moment seemed straightforward: two leaders visiting an industrial complex, shaking hands, smiling for the camera and making a nondescript speech or two.—
Stefano Pozzebon,
CNN Money,
17 Feb. 2026
-
The market's logic seemed straightforward: more efficient AI means less demand for chips, less demand for data centers, less demand for power.—
Jon Markman,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
If Winifred is instantly, bizarrely offputting, her employers are more straightforwardly ghastly.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
28 May 2026
-
The hero of Vidal’s novel is straightforwardly based on Hearst, while the wealthy, castle-dwelling Californian in Huxley’s novel bears a more veiled, but still unmistakable, resemblance to him.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 May 2026
Adverb
-
The rainbow sheen of petroleum was plainly visible in nearby surface water.—
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
27 May 2026
-
Hyperliquid's risk environment has been described plainly in the disclosure documents of the ETFs now tracking HYPE.—
Zennon Kapron,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2026
Adverb
-
Kean resurfaces, talks to a reporter Nearly three months into his mysterious disappearance, Kean abruptly peeked back into public view on May 21.—
Zachary Schermele,
USA Today,
23 May 2026
-
Shortly afterward, Senate Republicans abruptly left Washington without voting on a roughly $70 billion bill to fund immigration enforcement agencies.—
Eric Tucker,
Fortune,
23 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Forthrightly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forthrightly. Accessed 31 May. 2026.
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