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
Relevance
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of plainly
Say the plan plainly and notice who is ready to help.
—
Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 14 May 2026
Mladenov stated plainly that the plan envisioned in the ceasefire was off to a rocky start.
—Julia Frankel, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2026
To put it plainly, Jon Bernthal‘s anti-hero Punisher does a lot of killing in his Marvel Special Presentation.
—Jordan Moreau, Variety, 13 May 2026
The Pisces Moon trine Jupiter favors agreements, good timing, and ideas that travel well when spoken plainly.
—Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 12 May 2026
Midfielder Aníbal Godoy, the acting captain while Jeppe Tverskov is injured, put it plainly.
—Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 May 2026
When fees, timelines, storage, and eligibility requirements are discussed plainly, investors have a better foundation for professional review and personal decision-making.
—Matt Emma, USA Today, 8 May 2026
The statistics plainly show that the penalty-kill struggles, and a power play that is 0 for 5 in two games, have been detrimental.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 8 May 2026
Suffice it to say that the criteria used to make such an assessment was plainly self-serving and based on a narrow set of European norms.
—Ryan Huling, Time, 7 May 2026
Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 14 May 2026
Mladenov stated plainly that the plan envisioned in the ceasefire was off to a rocky start.
—Julia Frankel, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2026
To put it plainly, Jon Bernthal‘s anti-hero Punisher does a lot of killing in his Marvel Special Presentation.
—Jordan Moreau, Variety, 13 May 2026
The Pisces Moon trine Jupiter favors agreements, good timing, and ideas that travel well when spoken plainly.
—Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 12 May 2026
Midfielder Aníbal Godoy, the acting captain while Jeppe Tverskov is injured, put it plainly.
—Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 May 2026
When fees, timelines, storage, and eligibility requirements are discussed plainly, investors have a better foundation for professional review and personal decision-making.
—Matt Emma, USA Today, 8 May 2026
The statistics plainly show that the penalty-kill struggles, and a power play that is 0 for 5 in two games, have been detrimental.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 8 May 2026
Suffice it to say that the criteria used to make such an assessment was plainly self-serving and based on a narrow set of European norms.
—Ryan Huling, Time, 7 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plainly
Adverb
-
What is striking about this moment is that America is not merely acknowledging the Jewish roots of some of its values historically, but openly turning again to a distinctly Jewish practice as a possible source of wisdom for the present.—
Ari Berman,
New York Daily News,
15 May 2026
-
The controversy also took a turn after the discovery of a March 2026 interview with outlet El Nuevo Día in which Díaz openly discussed his family’s involvement in the underground circuit.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
15 May 2026
Adverb
-
Sadly, the project is almost certainly a fantasy.—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
11 May 2026
-
Shareef Elaydi certainly falls into that top-end category.—
Glenn Reeves,
Mercury News,
10 May 2026
Adverb
-
But there are millions of people who sincerely think some or all of those things are true and do not take a cross-country train and try to kill the president and his Cabinet.—
Chris Stirewalt,
The Hill,
28 Apr. 2026
-
At that time, the other co-founders were sincerely questioning both Musk and Altman’s motivations for wanting to become OpenAI’s CEO.—
Ashley Belanger,
ArsTechnica,
27 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
The Structured Reality category will surely once again feature Queer Eye and Shark Tank, which have dominated this category for the last 12 years.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
10 May 2026
-
From a scientific perspective, an interest in raccoon reproductive anatomy is surely not without merit.—
Sam Zeveloff,
STAT,
9 May 2026
Adverb
-
One glance at Kara Young’s résumé makes the truth of that statement plain enough.—
Juan A. Ramírez,
Vogue,
8 May 2026
-
Nearly unbeatable during the regular season, the Kansas City Mavericks are looking plain unstoppable now that the playoffs are underway.—
The Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
1 May 2026
Adverb
-
The spa The spa and wellness offerings are definitely one of the highlights—and some of the best in Costa Rica.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
16 May 2026
-
The proliferation of unmanned systems has definitely impacted the venerability of the traditional military platforms as well as their housing and repairing facilities.—
Aditya Jadhav,
Interesting Engineering,
15 May 2026
Adverb
-
Now, honestly speaking, this won't be everyone’s cup of tea.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
11 May 2026
-
Both Willis and Cruz could develop into starting linemen, and, honestly, that is the patient path for most in the trenches.—
Cam Inman,
Mercury News,
8 May 2026
Adverb
-
Republicans clearly have more easy opportunities to draw friendly districts going forward.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
15 May 2026
-
The strongest bond is the one that knows how to meet you clearly.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Plainly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plainly. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
