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
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
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
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House Speaker David Osborne, R-Prospect, openly said early in the session that neither would advance.—
Lucas Aulbach,
Louisville Courier Journal,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Weightlifter Laurel Hubbard made history as the first openly transgender woman to do so in Tokyo in 2021, though no woman who transitioned after being assigned male at birth is known to have participated in an Olympics since.—
Rachel Treisman,
NPR,
26 Mar. 2026
Adverb
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But it’s played sincerely, so the visual contrast just makes the connection feel clumsy, if not outright absurd.—
Sarah Shachat,
IndieWire,
23 Mar. 2026
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But the few times they’re forced to play their hurt feelings sincerely are as forced as the moment when Grace zips her gory wedding gown back on before it’s even been washed.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Mar. 2026
Adverb
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These days, balancing the press with writing is honestly a gift.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Which, honestly, only makes the whole thing funnier.—
Ryan Brennan,
Kansas City Star,
31 Mar. 2026
Adverb
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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
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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
-
Scalable and practical The system’s architecture scales straightforwardly.—
Munis Raza,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Mar. 2026
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This straightforwardly noble approach surely has some uses.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
22 Mar. 2026
Adverb
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Such an arrest is plainly inconsistent with basic First Amendment principles.—
Nina Totenberg,
NPR,
23 Mar. 2026
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The inference, plainly, is that is not the case at the moment.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
20 Mar. 2026
Adverb
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Communications or conversations can feel abruptly charged or destabilizing during the Leo moon.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
29 Mar. 2026
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Kenwood Vineyards, a longtime Sonoma Valley winery, has abruptly closed its tasting room, and a new property sale raises fresh questions about the brand’s future.—
Aidin Vaziri,
San Francisco Chronicle,
28 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Forthrightly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forthrightly. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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