as in honestly
to tell the truth
frankly, I'd rather stay at home than go to the movies tonight
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 frankly
Featuring so many plugs for Chick-fil-A that one hopes the producers got a good product-placement fee or at least free catering for the film shoot, Plantman & Blondie might have been amusing enough as a brief sketch, although frankly even that’s doubtful.
—
Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 15 Mar. 2026
Quite frankly, on Capitol Hill largely along party lines.
—NBC news, 15 Mar. 2026
And frankly, that's kind of the history of warfare.
—Lesley Stahl, CBS News, 15 Mar. 2026
Most people don’t have a passport, and frankly, most people don’t have ready access to an original or a certified copy of a birth certificate.
—Kate Dore, Cfp®, Ea, CNBC, 15 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for frankly
Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 15 Mar. 2026
Quite frankly, on Capitol Hill largely along party lines.
—NBC news, 15 Mar. 2026
And frankly, that's kind of the history of warfare.
—Lesley Stahl, CBS News, 15 Mar. 2026
Most people don’t have a passport, and frankly, most people don’t have ready access to an original or a certified copy of a birth certificate.
—Kate Dore, Cfp®, Ea, CNBC, 15 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for frankly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for frankly
Adverb
-
After using it, my scalp honestly felt so clean and refreshed.—
Catharine Malzahn,
Glamour,
18 Mar. 2026
-
Anyone assessing the Giants’ free agent signings honestly to date can’t say with certainty that this team has gotten better, outside of the Likely and punter Jordan Stout signings.—
Pat Leonard,
New York Daily News,
17 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
However, additional atmospheric characterization studies will be needed to determine whether such an atmosphere is actually present.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Mar. 2026
-
Consider what success actually looks like in your daily life, and notice which efforts deserve your attention.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
16 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
Some runways really have that brain chemistry-altering power, and the spectacle that Marc Jacobs created for the Louis Vuitton fall 2012 show is one such example.—
Rosie Jarman,
Vogue,
16 Mar. 2026
-
Everybody's worried about dresses and tuxes right now, but things will really get good when the Academy Awards show starts.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
16 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
That’s the next big step for San Diego State’s men’s basketball team and its boosters if Saturday’s 73-62 loss indeed denies the Aztecs a sixth consecutive berth in the NCAA Tournament.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Mar. 2026
-
Less than two months later, the DNA tests came back — Jane Doe was indeed Sheila Ramsey.—
Rocco Parascandola,
New York Daily News,
14 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Frankly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frankly. Accessed 18 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
