1
as in openly
in an honest and direct manner
you'll have to tell your relatives very plainly that you don't like perfume, or they'll keep giving it to you
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in certainly
without any question
your wife is plainly upset that you didn't invite her to the game with us
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of plainly
Draft the pitch and edit the newsletter so your plan lands plainly, and keep the tone upbeat.
—
Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 17 June 2026
The Islamic Republic has always claimed that its domestic opponents were stooges of Israel and the United States, even when those charges were plainly implausible.
—Laura Secor, The Atlantic, 16 June 2026
Marco-Antonio Hartmann, PhD, a pediatric psychologist at Phoenix Children's, one of the nation's largest pediatric health systems, puts it plainly.
—Staff Author, Parents, 13 June 2026
Scenes of playtime on the living-room floor, or of dinner amid cheerful family chat, all feel deeply lived in and plainly observed, even as the objects of daily life, from a doorknob to a sippy cup, take on outsized dramatic power.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 12 June 2026
Allow cancellation or returns without games; plainly state pro-rating or refund rules; provide easy access to invoices, history or data; and keep the tone respectful with no guilt language.
—Michael Goshka, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026
Hockney, put plainly, was the most famous artist in the world.
—Mark Rozzo, Vanity Fair, 12 June 2026
Name the need plainly, then confirm the next step together.
—Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 11 June 2026
To put it plainly, people with the same level of education and experience can make far more doing almost anything other than teaching.
—Randi Weingarten, Time, 11 June 2026
Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 17 June 2026
The Islamic Republic has always claimed that its domestic opponents were stooges of Israel and the United States, even when those charges were plainly implausible.
—Laura Secor, The Atlantic, 16 June 2026
Marco-Antonio Hartmann, PhD, a pediatric psychologist at Phoenix Children's, one of the nation's largest pediatric health systems, puts it plainly.
—Staff Author, Parents, 13 June 2026
Scenes of playtime on the living-room floor, or of dinner amid cheerful family chat, all feel deeply lived in and plainly observed, even as the objects of daily life, from a doorknob to a sippy cup, take on outsized dramatic power.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 12 June 2026
Allow cancellation or returns without games; plainly state pro-rating or refund rules; provide easy access to invoices, history or data; and keep the tone respectful with no guilt language.
—Michael Goshka, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026
Hockney, put plainly, was the most famous artist in the world.
—Mark Rozzo, Vanity Fair, 12 June 2026
Name the need plainly, then confirm the next step together.
—Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 11 June 2026
To put it plainly, people with the same level of education and experience can make far more doing almost anything other than teaching.
—Randi Weingarten, Time, 11 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plainly
Adverb
-
By far the best known of Egypt’s players, Salah is a Sunni Muslim who practices his faith openly, on and off the field.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
18 June 2026
-
Like Kennedy, many of them hold anti-vaccine views and are also openly hostile to mRNA technology.—
Beth Mole,
ArsTechnica,
18 June 2026
Adverb
-
That’s certainly fascinating to watch in the world today.—
Sean T. Collins,
Vulture,
22 June 2026
-
However, the familial drives of men are something seldom acknowledged by society more broadly, Lewis says, and certainly not to the same degree that women's are.—
Charles Trepany,
USA Today,
21 June 2026
Adverb
-
For example, someone may sincerely believe a supplement, detox or alternative therapy helped when symptoms may have improved naturally or because of expectation alone.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
18 June 2026
-
The back support was there, and as someone who’s five eleven, that was sincerely appreciated.—
Audrey Lee,
Architectural Digest,
15 June 2026
Adverb
-
And yet, the most gruesome naval battle in Westerosi history surely would have thrilled as a season finale.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
22 June 2026
-
Some of these Bay Area Shakira supporters had surely seen this show before, back when the Colombian pop star entertained some 33,000 music lovers on a chilly June night at Oracle Park in San Francisco in 2025.—
Jim Harrington,
Mercury News,
21 June 2026
Adverb
-
But he is viewed by Labour supporters as a more effective, optimistic and plain-speaking communicator than Starmer, who's quiet, lawyerly manner has consistently failed to connect with the public's national mood.—
Kim Hjelmgaard,
USA Today,
22 June 2026
-
The character of Thomasin was described in the script as plain-faced.—
Seth Abramovitch,
HollywoodReporter,
17 June 2026
Adverb
-
Aidan Lee, 23, who is of Mexican and South Korean descent, definitely stuck out in his red South Korea jersey.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
-
Yeah, the shape was definitely interesting—almost a new take on the low-profile sneaker, which has been sending everyone into a tizzy.—
Christian Allaire,
Vogue,
19 June 2026
Adverb
-
And honestly, in the short term, founder dependency makes the operating partner's job easier too.—
Louis Mosca,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2026
-
And, honestly, what a miserable way to go through life.—
Dan Zaksheske OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
22 June 2026
Adverb
-
Madibo, though, did have his hands on his head, clearly distressed after seeing what occurred to Koné as players, coaches and medical staff surrounded the 24-year-old on the pitch.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
19 June 2026
-
But something has clearly unraveled in recent days.—
Nic Robertson,
CNN Money,
19 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Plainly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plainly. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
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