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
Brown said it plainly afterward, pointing to the numbers that showed where the Knicks lost control.
—
C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 21 Apr. 2026
And plainly put, Eddie is one of the greatest.
—Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 19 Apr. 2026
Trump is just saying so plainly.
—The Week Uk, TheWeek, 11 Apr. 2026
State your value plainly, then take the lead.
—Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 10 Apr. 2026
This winter, the grim facts were written plainly on the landscape — in brown hillsides, dry peaks and the early blooms of spring.
—Mark Dee, Idaho Statesman, 10 Apr. 2026
Happy Valley is plainly a police state run for the benefit of massive corporations.
—Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2026
Trump is plainly ready to find a solution to skyrocketing oil prices.
—Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 9 Apr. 2026
This quite plainly is a group of adult activists foisting their political causes onto the next generation, defining students in their own image, and asking them to carry these burdens for them.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 8 Apr. 2026
C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 21 Apr. 2026
And plainly put, Eddie is one of the greatest.
—Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 19 Apr. 2026
Trump is just saying so plainly.
—The Week Uk, TheWeek, 11 Apr. 2026
State your value plainly, then take the lead.
—Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 10 Apr. 2026
This winter, the grim facts were written plainly on the landscape — in brown hillsides, dry peaks and the early blooms of spring.
—Mark Dee, Idaho Statesman, 10 Apr. 2026
Happy Valley is plainly a police state run for the benefit of massive corporations.
—Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2026
Trump is plainly ready to find a solution to skyrocketing oil prices.
—Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 9 Apr. 2026
This quite plainly is a group of adult activists foisting their political causes onto the next generation, defining students in their own image, and asking them to carry these burdens for them.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 8 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plainly
Adverb
-
Some hard-liners have openly criticized the regime for agreeing to a ceasefire, saying that the United States cannot be trusted.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
16 Apr. 2026
-
But above all – with inflation and gas prices on the rise, and the MAGA base openly in revolt – Trump urgently needs a deal.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
15 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
Raphael could certainly extract feeling from the architecture of a body and the distribution of its weight, but the majority of his faces, even the most artificially expressive ones, are unburdened by anything like a psychology.—
Zachary Fine,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
-
De Zerbi has certainly earned the right to be heard.—
Jack Pitt-Brooke,
New York Times,
20 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
Still, the energy around physical media continues to surge in sincerely exciting new ways.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
16 Apr. 2026
-
The risk of contaminating the aquifer is a long and sincerely held fear among critics like Leigh Ford, executive director of the Snake River Alliance, a nuclear watchdog.—
Mark Dee
April 13,
Idaho Statesman,
13 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
Of all the courageous figures in the Great Migration, the Pullman Porters of Chicago surely stand alone.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Apr. 2026
-
Right now, Imas explained, doctor and teachers are doing jobs that are half relational and half vulnerable to automation, and some of those surely will be.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
19 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
This left zero time for serendipity — or just plain relaxing.—
Marla Jo Fisher,
Oc Register,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Mixed signals on what’s next Trump’s propensity to give ambiguous — and sometimes plain confusing — messages on his strategy with respect to Iran is undimmed.—
Niall Stanage,
The Hill,
6 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
The new project highlights their natural chemistry and clear affinity for the So Much Fun era—the kids are definitely still alright.—
Hattie Lindert,
Pitchfork,
17 Apr. 2026
-
There’s definitely a raw spirit that the UK brings that feels very specific to us.—
Wengel Gemu,
Vanity Fair,
17 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
The space in Sioux Falls was formerly a DMV, which is honestly the most dramatic glow-up a building has ever experienced.—
Samantha Agate,
Miami Herald,
20 Apr. 2026
-
But those conversations need to happen honestly and as part of a larger plan — not one exception at a time.—
Mike Atchison,
Sun Sentinel,
19 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
But the royal gown that the Queen wore in Pakistan is a vivid example of the kind of soft power that can be exerted by a head of state who is otherwise without executive or legislative potency, especially one who takes a keen interest in international affairs, as Elizabeth II clearly did.—
Rebecca Mead,
New Yorker,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Cheadle clearly figured out that his main job here is to cue her up and get out of her way.—
Chris Jones,
New York Daily News,
17 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Plainly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plainly. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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