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Synonym Chooser

How does the noun honesty contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of honesty are honor, integrity, and probity. While all these words mean "uprightness of character or action," honesty implies a refusal to lie, steal, or deceive in any way.

When is honor a more appropriate choice than honesty?

While the synonyms honor and honesty are close in meaning, honor suggests an active or anxious regard for the standards of one's profession, calling, or position.

When would integrity be a good substitute for honesty?

The meanings of integrity and honesty largely overlap; however, integrity implies trustworthiness and incorruptibility to a degree that one is incapable of being false to a trust, responsibility, or pledge.

When could probity be used to replace honesty?

While in some cases nearly identical to honesty, probity implies tried and proven honesty or integrity.

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 honesty That kind of self-awareness creates safety and honesty inside teams. Jessica Neal, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2025 But this sort of honesty has its costs. Shadi Hamid, Time, 3 Nov. 2025 The honesty and openness with each other, in such a relaxed environment, is what makes the Foodie Boyz sound so relatable and familiar to their audience. Stephanie Ganz, Parents, 3 Nov. 2025 Real ones want honesty, not manipulation. Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 2 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for honesty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for honesty
Noun
  • Donate today to preserve the quality and integrity of local journalism.
    Dmitry Martirosov, Arkansas Online, 12 Nov. 2025
  • In 2020, he was tapped to become the BBC’s director-general, where he has been widely considered a formidable leader and a staunch defender of the BBC’s journalistic integrity.
    Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 11 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • However, by the time of the American withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, which allowed the Taliban to return to power, the perception of the morality and efficacy of that long war had dwindled in the international community.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Nov. 2025
  • To be a genre television spy requires a particular sense of morality and truth, coupled with a self-preservation instinct that means never letting your guard down.
    Lily Osler, Vulture, 3 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • His award came with a glass plaque detailing the honor and a $1,000 cash prize.
    Grant Lancaster, Arkansas Online, 7 Nov. 2025
  • Over the course of Lamborghini’s 60-plus years as a going concern, there have been just six models that (not counting the array of limited-run cars the company has become known for selling to the ultra-wealthy in the 21st Century) held the honor of serving as those company-defining icons.
    Will Sabel Courtney, Robb Report, 6 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Suddenly, sincerity felt like a fresher approach to a contemporary political story—more interesting, more unexpected, and more aligned with my artistic ethos.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Nov. 2025
  • Even with the emotional whiplash of Edward's shifting moods, Pattinson channels a sober sincerity that's almost magnetic.
    Edward Segarra, USA Today, 31 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • In a sector where sustainability often stops at the label, this model carries the virtue of being both circular and selfless.
    Maria Williams, USA Today, 4 Nov. 2025
  • Just as personal vices can shape the course of an individual life, so too can national vices influence our collective experience, maybe as much as our virtues—or possibly even more.
    Dan Brooks, The Atlantic, 3 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • But despite its frankness, the show is more interested in ambition than in sexuality or gender relations.
    Judy Berman, Time, 30 Oct. 2025
  • The recording of that release as depicted in the documentary is the balancing light to the overwhelming dark Osbourne experienced in his later years, a series of illnesses, hospitalizations, frustrations and ceaseless pain shown with unblinking frankness.
    Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 7 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • If accurate even only in part, such a dramatic escalation would cast doubt on the reliability of the election results and put the military at the center of the blame for the outcome.
    Peter D. Feaver, Foreign Affairs, 12 Nov. 2025
  • Although outdoor tests have begun, long-term reliability data remain limited.
    Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 11 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • The sweet, nutty flavor of butternut squash melds with the cheesy goodness of this lasagna.
    Jenna Sims, Southern Living, 8 Nov. 2025
  • This super-stuffed bonanza of spell-casting goodness will feature previews, interviews, Easter eggs, and original musical performances by some of the starriest members of the duology's ensemble cast — including cohosts Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo.
    Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Nov. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Honesty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/honesty. Accessed 12 Nov. 2025.

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