Definition of honestynext
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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 Which is very funny — and there’s truth and honesty in that. Stephen Schaefer, Boston Herald, 1 Mar. 2026 Sumrall leans hard into honesty. Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Feb. 2026 Longevity requires discipline, emotional honesty and continuous growth. Becca Brazil, Rolling Stone, 27 Feb. 2026 Allen Ginsberg on poetic honesty. Literary Hub, 27 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for honesty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for honesty
Noun
  • Donate today to preserve the quality and integrity of local journalism.
    arkansasonline.com, arkansasonline.com, 8 Mar. 2026
  • The bill would require proof of citizenship and voter identification to register to vote, and comes as the president has underscored election integrity.
    Asher Notheis, The Washington Examiner, 8 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Better Go Mad in the Wild, Sinéad O’Shea’s capitalism and morality doc All About the Money, and Werner Herzog’s nature film Ghost Elephants.
    Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 9 Mar. 2026
  • Agents do not seek truth or morality.
    Victoria Bousis, Rolling Stone, 9 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • On Monday, Villanova’s Devin Askew won Big East Sixth Man of the Year, while teammate Tyler Perkins was named the conference’s Most Improved Player — an honor Ejiofor won last year.
    Peter Sblendorio, Hartford Courant, 10 Mar. 2026
  • The Mountain West announced its all-conference basketball awards on Tuesday afternoon, and just one Boise State player earned honors.
    Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 10 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Joy Randolph, Ke Huy Quan and Daniel Kaluuya nailed the assignment in recent years, giving speeches that struck an endearing balance of humor and sincerity, but always with a dash of the unexpected.
    Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 8 Mar. 2026
  • Foligno always skirted the line between earnest and corny, but nobody ever doubted his sincerity.
    Scott Powers, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • There is an emphatic truthfulness to the story and the performances that anchor it, which is both refreshing and innovative.
    Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Mar. 2026
  • Some people thought the character was too much, but Danica managed to make her just that without losing the truthfulness, and the ending wouldn’t have worked without that.
    Annika Pham, Variety, 21 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini has earned praise from every opposing coach across the league in his first two NHL seasons, and Buffalo Sabres coach Lindy Ruff also took a minute Tuesday to extoll the 19-year-old’s virtues.
    Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 10 Mar. 2026
  • Executives have been preaching the virtues of consolidation, framing it as the only way for legacy media companies to compete with technology companies.
    Lucas Shaw, Bloomberg, 9 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Her emotional frankness has also translated into measurable commercial impact.
    Amy Francombe, Vogue, 4 Mar. 2026
  • The cast rises to the challenge of Churchill’s rapid-fire, often overlapping dialogue, with comedic highlights including Pope Joan’s coarse frankness and Dull Gret’s unexpected interjections.
    Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 20 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • By enabling machines to create and verify their own records at the point of operation, the technology offers a new method for ensuring the reliability and accountability of autonomous systems.
    Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 9 Mar. 2026
  • Your reliability builds lasting bridges that support future goals.
    Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Honesty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/honesty. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.

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