FORTHRIGHTLY Synonyms: 55 Similar and Opposite Words

forthrightly

adverb

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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for forthrightly

Adverb

Current and former officials have spoken openly about their assessments that the Chinese government has obtained data on almost every American.

— Michael Scherer, The Atlantic, 17 July 2026
What often shapes public perception is whether a company communicates openly, cooperates with regulators, and demonstrates a willingness to take immediate corrective action.

— Gary Occhiogrosso, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026

Definition of openly

Adverb

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
Clint and his management team sincerely apologize for the inconvenience this cancellation may cause.

— Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 2 July 2026

Definition of sincerely

Adverb

Leaders must honestly review past performance, confronting uncomfortable truths rather than defending old decisions.

— Dev Patnaik, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
The historian Eugen Weber wrote influentially of how peasants who spoke languages like Occitan, Breton, or Basque became—or, more honestly, were made—Frenchmen.

— Nikhil Krishnan, New Yorker, 20 July 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

Now, fresh off one of the most straightforwardly terrible albums of the decade, here comes the Muse Mothership again.

— Liam Inscoe-Jones, Pitchfork, 1 July 2026
Perhaps the cleanest rebuke of noisy nativism would be for England to win, and, if Tuchel can take that final step that eluded Southgate, he’ll be immortalized, too—perhaps in a prestige miniseries of his own, and a more straightforwardly triumphal one at that.

— Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 18 June 2026

Definition of straightforwardly

Adverb

If the image is genuine and already halfway around Reddit, there is nothing left to hide and everything to lose by acting otherwise, so the honest move is to name what happened plainly and let the daylight do its work.

— Alexander Puutio, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
Jerry Klein, chief veterinarian at the American Kennel Club, put it plainly in an interview with Wirecutter.

— Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 9 July 2026

Definition of plainly

Adverb

Back in January, Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong abruptly torpedoed a bipartisan agreement and vote of the Senate Banking Committee Clarity bill.

— Cleve Mesidor, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
In Texas in 2023, Lilly Livingston, who has Down syndrome and is now 22, was abruptly cut off from Medicaid benefits, according to Livingston's mother, Marie.

— Rachana Pradhan, NPR, 20 July 2026

Definition of abruptly

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forthright

forthrightly

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“Forthrightly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forthrightly. Accessed 22 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of forthrightly

adverb

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