as in freely
in a direct and honest way; without hiding feelings or opinions
Please feel free to express your opinions openly. The governor has been openly critical of the President.
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Recent Examples of openly
After months of allowing customers to openly carry guns in its Florida stores, Publix appears to have changed its policy.
—
Angie Dimichele, Sun Sentinel, 7 May 2026
Critics warn that openly discussing armed resistance could endanger protesters, deepen divisions inside the opposition and risk pushing Iran toward civil war.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 7 May 2026
Never one to shy away from sharing his views, Turner spoke openly about his climate worries — and pushed industry to embrace solutions.
—Drew Kann, AJC.com, 7 May 2026
Vessels can turn off their location broadcasts for safety reasons or to make journeys without being tracked openly.
—May 6, CBS News, 6 May 2026
When families begin communicating more openly, younger generations learn that vulnerability and emotional honesty are not things to fear.
—Essence, 6 May 2026
The fact that the lyrics openly criticized the military and called for action was probably lost on my eight-year-old self, but the beauty of the melody was not.
—Literary Hub, 6 May 2026
The practice has surged in popularity as celebrities and pro athletes openly share their routines.
—Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 6 May 2026
But in the early 2000s, more students began to openly identify as transgender, and colleges increasingly had to decide how to adjust their policies.
—Alex C. Lange, The Conversation, 6 May 2026
Angie Dimichele, Sun Sentinel, 7 May 2026
Critics warn that openly discussing armed resistance could endanger protesters, deepen divisions inside the opposition and risk pushing Iran toward civil war.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 7 May 2026
Never one to shy away from sharing his views, Turner spoke openly about his climate worries — and pushed industry to embrace solutions.
—Drew Kann, AJC.com, 7 May 2026
Vessels can turn off their location broadcasts for safety reasons or to make journeys without being tracked openly.
—May 6, CBS News, 6 May 2026
When families begin communicating more openly, younger generations learn that vulnerability and emotional honesty are not things to fear.
—Essence, 6 May 2026
The fact that the lyrics openly criticized the military and called for action was probably lost on my eight-year-old self, but the beauty of the melody was not.
—Literary Hub, 6 May 2026
The practice has surged in popularity as celebrities and pro athletes openly share their routines.
—Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 6 May 2026
But in the early 2000s, more students began to openly identify as transgender, and colleges increasingly had to decide how to adjust their policies.
—Alex C. Lange, The Conversation, 6 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for openly
Adverb
-
Dong wrote articles arguing for constitutional democracy, political reform and transparency in politics — views allowed to circulate freely in the past that are now taboo in China.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 May 2026
-
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz since late February has blocked a large portion of the global oil supply from flowing freely, and uncertainty surrounding the conflict has kept oil prices volatile.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 May 2026
Adverb
-
But there are millions of people who sincerely think some or all of those things are true and do not take a cross-country train and try to kill the president and his Cabinet.—
Chris Stirewalt,
The Hill,
28 Apr. 2026
-
At that time, the other co-founders were sincerely questioning both Musk and Altman’s motivations for wanting to become OpenAI’s CEO.—
Ashley Belanger,
ArsTechnica,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Openly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/openly. Accessed 12 May. 2026.
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