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 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
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
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Other times, however, people are simply oblivious about how their honesty will land.—
Angela Haupt,
Time,
18 Feb. 2026
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Harris kept coming back to the idea of Dunk’s honesty as the keystone for how the Trial of the Seven was conceived, choreographed, shot, and edited.—
Sarah Shachat,
IndieWire,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Turner manages to put across this supreme shallowness with total sincerity.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Feb. 2026
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No one with sincerity agrees with a group on all things 100% of the time.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
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However, don’t let your frankness be a hard no.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Feb. 2026
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White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt brushed off those comments as an example of the president’s frankness.—
Brett Samuels,
The Hill,
8 Dec. 2025
Noun
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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
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Monique’s penchant for forthrightness, almost to the point of abruptness, is what makes her reintegration to the cast fascinating already.—
Shamira Ibrahim,
Vulture,
24 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Both quarterbacks revisited that period with apparent bluntness.—
Daniel Brown,
New York Times,
1 Feb. 2026
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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
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Known for his candor, Foran once famously told reporters that most of Walmart’s stores were not up to standard, breaking with a company culture that didn’t prize such directness.—
Phil Wahba,
Fortune,
9 Feb. 2026
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Under the current setup, Amad has shown directness, assist threat and a willingness to get in behind the defence — attributes that translate well to FPL scoring.—
Abdul Rehman,
New York Times,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
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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
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The title and author are set large in a text weight of Didot, echoing the candidness of the photo and the material.—
Emily Temple,
Literary Hub,
11 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Known for his candor, Foran once famously told reporters that most of Walmart’s stores were not up to standard, breaking with a company culture that didn’t prize such directness.—
Phil Wahba,
Fortune,
9 Feb. 2026
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The lobby radiates the personality, warmth, and candor of a Swiss bank.—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Outspokenness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outspokenness. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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