MATTER-OF-FACTLY Synonyms: 57 Similar and Opposite Words

matter-of-factly

adverb

as in candidly

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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 matter-of-factly The stranger informs her matter-of-factly that Alice’s leg will be amputated unless Anna opts into her payment-plan bargain. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2026 As the misfits who make up Widow’s Bay react matter-of-factly to some of the creepy and strange goings-on around them, at the center of it all is Matthew Rhys as Mayor Tom Loftis. — Michael Schneider, Variety, 19 Aug. 2026 Elliott matter-of-factly told the story about his name, as well the later discovery through 23andMe of his biological father’s likely identity and the confirmed existence of many half siblings, just by pushing a button. — Mark Pazniokas, Hartford Courant, 5 Aug. 2026 The late George is still widely hailed as having been Little Feat’s most visionary member and Payne matter-of-factly refers to him as both a mentor and a genius. — George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Aug. 2026 The tech is terrifying, but it’s treated matter-of-factly, played for barked laughs. — Sheldon Pearce, New Yorker, 12 June 2026 This is presented upsettingly matter-of-factly — sudden, and just out of frame. — Blake Simons, IndieWire, 18 May 2026 Jason Collins had written it so matter-of-factly. — Chad De Guzman, Time, 13 May 2026 My mother reported her friends’ upheavals to me matter-of-factly. — Jennifer Acker, PEOPLE, 8 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for matter-of-factly

Adverb

Twenty strategists from both parties involved in Senate races spoke with NBC News candidly about their party’s strategy across the country.

— Kaylah Jackson, NBC news, 8 Sep. 2026
Venice Film Festival artistic director Alberto Barbera spoke candidly Tuesday about the political pressures surrounding this year’s edition, while making clear that the fest has no intention of shying away from controversy.

— Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of candidly

Adverb

But that was a concerning — and quite frankly, shocking — second-half performance for this defense.

— Colton Pouncy, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
Republican House members were being asked to pay $25,000 for convention tickets and lodging, according to people familiar with the situation and granted anonymity to speak frankly about the private arrangement.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of frankly

Adverb

The current attorney general refused to appeal a court decision that struck down a 1987 state law prohibiting citizens from openly carrying firearms in public.

— José Javier Rodríguez, Sun Sentinel, 11 Sep. 2026
However, after his death and while promoting Marrow Deep, Mastodon members talked openly about Hinds’ departure, citing his issues with substance abuse.

— Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of openly

Adverb

In the video, the popular streamers Maya Higa and FaZe Adapt sit together on a log, chatting nonchalantly as a massive grizzly bear lumbers toward them.

— Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 27 Aug. 2026
Couples stroll nonchalantly around the fountain, seemingly without a care in the world.

— Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of nonchalantly

Adverb

Some looked younger than thirty and were dressed casually, while others already looked the part of the candidate, in suits or high heels.

— Jesús Rodríguez, New Yorker, 6 Sep. 2026
She’s casually seated on a couch, soft-spoken, and sometimes pausing to search for the right words in English.

— Rebecca Ford, Vanity Fair, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of casually

Adverb

The family’s dream home (a magazine-pristine and coolly atmospheric feat by production designer Alain Bainée) certainly looks solid, but proves quite permeable — beginning one morning when a gaping hole suddenly appears in the garden wall.

— Guy Lodge, Variety, 8 Sep. 2026
As if to signal this iteration hasn’t completely deviated from its roots, in the show’s opening moments, Deborah Wayne coolly flicks the iconic flip-up frames made famous by Hardison’s Dwayne.

— Senior Television, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of coolly

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matter-of-fact

matter-of-factly

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“Matter-of-factly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/matter-of-factly. Accessed 15 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of matter-of-factly

adverb

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