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
Furthermore, a recent Financial Times investigation revealed that even when AI developers implement guardrails to prevent bad actors from misusing them, protections can be bypassed using openly available software tools in less than 10 minutes.
—
Mohammad Hosseini, Chicago Tribune, 4 June 2026
In the other room, Kayda is entertaining Bryce and Zach, who are openly drooling, and the scene could not look more like Challengers if Zendaya were playing Kayda.
—Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 4 June 2026
Part of Lloyd’s inspiration for the show came from his experience as an openly gay artist himself.
—Miami Herald, 4 June 2026
Vucic has recently refused to attend ceremonies in Montenegro marking the 20th anniversary of the country's split from Serbia and has openly supported pro-Serbian parties in Montenegro that opposed the country's entry into NATO and sought closer ties with Russia.
—ABC News, 3 June 2026
While that's a steep legislative hill, a sizeable group of Republican senators has openly complained about the fund, leaving open the possibility that Democrats could lure across the aisle an embarrassing number of GOP defectors.
—Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 3 June 2026
Sarah McBride became the first openly transgender member of Congress after being sworn in to represent Delaware’s lone House seat.
—Dan Zaksheske Outkick, FOXNews.com, 3 June 2026
The practice was taught and shared openly by prosecutors in the office, the lawsuit claimed, citing one example of a deputy district attorney advocating for Jewish people to be left off juries during a 1992 conference in San Diego.
—Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 3 June 2026
The pride celebration in Pittsburgh in 2005 was DeJesus' first exposure to the LGBTQIA community and to her out son, who invited his family to join him as a means of introducing them to himself as an openly gay person.
—Allison Hope, Parents, 3 June 2026
Mohammad Hosseini, Chicago Tribune, 4 June 2026
In the other room, Kayda is entertaining Bryce and Zach, who are openly drooling, and the scene could not look more like Challengers if Zendaya were playing Kayda.
—Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 4 June 2026
Part of Lloyd’s inspiration for the show came from his experience as an openly gay artist himself.
—Miami Herald, 4 June 2026
Vucic has recently refused to attend ceremonies in Montenegro marking the 20th anniversary of the country's split from Serbia and has openly supported pro-Serbian parties in Montenegro that opposed the country's entry into NATO and sought closer ties with Russia.
—ABC News, 3 June 2026
While that's a steep legislative hill, a sizeable group of Republican senators has openly complained about the fund, leaving open the possibility that Democrats could lure across the aisle an embarrassing number of GOP defectors.
—Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 3 June 2026
Sarah McBride became the first openly transgender member of Congress after being sworn in to represent Delaware’s lone House seat.
—Dan Zaksheske Outkick, FOXNews.com, 3 June 2026
The practice was taught and shared openly by prosecutors in the office, the lawsuit claimed, citing one example of a deputy district attorney advocating for Jewish people to be left off juries during a 1992 conference in San Diego.
—Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 3 June 2026
The pride celebration in Pittsburgh in 2005 was DeJesus' first exposure to the LGBTQIA community and to her out son, who invited his family to join him as a means of introducing them to himself as an openly gay person.
—Allison Hope, Parents, 3 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for openly
Adverb
-
The Glen Canyon Institute and canyon activists for years have argued that Lake Powell should be drained and the Colorado River allowed to again flow freely through Glen Canyon.—
Elise Schmelzer,
Denver Post,
7 June 2026
-
The extra water allows laundry to agitate more freely during the wash cycle, which can be helpful with bulky items.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
6 June 2026
Adverb
-
Basically, no matter how soap-y the show gets, Akerman permits the audience to buy into and sincerely enjoy the Hunting Wives ridiculousness.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
29 May 2026
-
Take a few extra moments to double-check your space, thank your host sincerely, and leave on a warm, unhurried note.—
Jamie Cuccinelli,
Martha Stewart,
22 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Openly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/openly. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
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