as in honesty
the free expression of one's true feelings and opinions
some people find the celebrated outspokenness of that talk show host to be rather offensive
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Recent Examples of outspokenness
The actor recently reflected on his political outspokenness in an interview with Vanity Fair.
—
Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Mar. 2026
The outspokenness of the Winter Olympic athletes echoes a dramatic protest by Olympians Tommie Smith and John Carlos which electrified the 1968 Summer Games in Mexico City.
—Los Angeles Times, 14 Feb. 2026
Their outspokenness has drawn some criticism.
—Zach Schonfeld, The Hill, 19 Nov. 2025
Kirk's outspokenness helped dissuade those fears.
—Alex J. Rouhandeh, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025
While the rise of GLP-1s brings a myriad of valid concerns − such as its contribution to disordered eating and promotion of thinness as the ideal body type − Williams' outspokenness is a crucial, balanced example of healthy and transparent GLP-1 usage.
—Alyssa Goldberg, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2025
Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Mar. 2026
The outspokenness of the Winter Olympic athletes echoes a dramatic protest by Olympians Tommie Smith and John Carlos which electrified the 1968 Summer Games in Mexico City.
—Los Angeles Times, 14 Feb. 2026
Their outspokenness has drawn some criticism.
—Zach Schonfeld, The Hill, 19 Nov. 2025
Kirk's outspokenness helped dissuade those fears.
—Alex J. Rouhandeh, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025
While the rise of GLP-1s brings a myriad of valid concerns − such as its contribution to disordered eating and promotion of thinness as the ideal body type − Williams' outspokenness is a crucial, balanced example of healthy and transparent GLP-1 usage.
—Alyssa Goldberg, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for outspokenness
Noun
-
Choose honesty, and let support flow in.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Now, because of his imprudent and inaccurate sloganeering, even with a majority of his appointees sitting on the board, the mayor faces the prospect of a legal and political fiasco that implicates the honesty of his most prominent promise to his constituents.—
Christian Browne,
New York Daily News,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Some have gone further, publicly chewing khat on the campaign trail, a gesture that signals solidarity and which has become something of a ritual in Kenyan electoral cycles, with aspiring leaders competing to demonstrate the sincerity of their commitment to khat farmers and traders.—
Joseph Maina,
semafor.com,
27 Mar. 2026
-
The sincerity of this aim can sometimes run counter to the sharp, excruciatingly realistic satire that’s previously been the show’s bailiwick, and sometimes still is.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
22 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Fulmer also delivers some comedic moments as Alycia, whose fast-talking frankness can be quite funny, albeit tone-deaf at times.—
Emily McClanathan,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Her emotional frankness has also translated into measurable commercial impact.—
Amy Francombe,
Vogue,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Fortune spoke with six people who have invested in Anthropic to get a sense of how this key constituency is feeling about the situation, and found that opinions were not unified despite the company’s longstanding forthrightness about its values.—
Jessica Mathews,
Fortune,
5 Mar. 2026
-
WalletHub has studied deferred interest since 2012, periodically flagging retailers that offer the loans and rating their financing offers on transparency and forthrightness.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
28 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Villa’s offensive bluntness has exacerbated other wrinkles within Emery’s collective structure.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
25 Mar. 2026
-
She’s built a career on candid takes about relationships, work and the absurdities of everyday life, delivered with her trademark mix of bluntness and charm.—
Travis Pinson,
Dallas Morning News,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The directness with which the camera meets the eyes of the film’s subjects suggests compassion for their disfigurement and isolation (indeed, Farrokhzad adopted a boy from the colony), but there are no interviews.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026
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It was simply presented, with a split screen between the actor onstage and the casting director in the audience, and the directness of the actors’ messages came through both to the nominees and to viewers.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
16 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Some athletes early in this era proved that charisma and candidness coupled with their athletic skills could be highly lucrative.—
Chantel Jennings,
New York Times,
10 Mar. 2026
-
The duo have become known for their candidness and light-hearted humor, frequently letting viewers in on the chaos of their real lives.—
Catherine Santino,
PEOPLE,
5 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Shinichi Atobe’s arresting house and techno beams with inimitable candor, built from bright, phlegmatic loops that run on an eccentric internal logic.—
Maxie Younger,
Pitchfork,
27 Mar. 2026
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The second was a charge of a lack of candor during the Ethics Commitee’s investigation.—
Claire Heddles,
Miami Herald,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Outspokenness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outspokenness. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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