as in frankly
to tell the truth
honestly, I haven't the slightest idea what you're talking about
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of honestly
There was this mystique surrounding a band like this, honestly.
—
Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 11 Apr. 2026
While Gettysburg dramatizes Confederate soldiers’ points of view without outwardly sympathizing with them, the same cannot honestly be said of Maxwell’s late-era prequel, Gods and Generals (2003).
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Apr. 2026
And, honestly, even that could have been more fun.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 11 Apr. 2026
This dual effect is one of those counterintuitive findings that makes gardening more complicated (and honestly, more interesting) than a 30-second reel can capture.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for honestly
Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 11 Apr. 2026
While Gettysburg dramatizes Confederate soldiers’ points of view without outwardly sympathizing with them, the same cannot honestly be said of Maxwell’s late-era prequel, Gods and Generals (2003).
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Apr. 2026
And, honestly, even that could have been more fun.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 11 Apr. 2026
This dual effect is one of those counterintuitive findings that makes gardening more complicated (and honestly, more interesting) than a 30-second reel can capture.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for honestly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for honestly
Adverb
-
Bolnes was a Catholic, as was her rich and frankly terrifying mother, Maria Thins, with whom the young couple lodged.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
-
And frankly, that really wasn’t what our consumers wanted, so revenues flattened out, customer satisfaction declined.—
Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson,
semafor.com,
13 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
Shield little faces from the sun with embellished baseball hats -- styles so cute, kids will actually want to wear them.—
Tory Johnson,
ABC News,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Finding flattering pieces that actually fit my 5-foot-2 frame off the rack has always felt like hitting the fashion jackpot.—
Tanya Sharma,
PEOPLE,
12 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
Sounds like a rounding error, but the extra couple of percentage points of creamy fat is what really intensifies the flavor.—
Elliott Harrell,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
13 Apr. 2026
-
But, really, this is a volume business.—
Patrick Radden Keefe,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
Artisanal work of this caliber is rare air indeed—an heirloom object that appears to defy gravity but is firmly rooted in generations of savoir faire.—
Paige Reddinger,
Robb Report,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Some pundits claim that social media is the equivalent to smoking cigarettes or illicit drugs, a common but false claim in technology moral panics (indeed such comparisons have been identified as a warning sign of misinformation).—
William Proctor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
11 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Honestly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/honestly. Accessed 16 Apr. 2026.
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