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
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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
-
After months of allowing customers to openly carry guns in its Florida stores, Publix appears to have changed its policy.—
Angie DiMichele,
Sun Sentinel,
7 May 2026
-
Critics warn that openly discussing armed resistance could endanger protesters, deepen divisions inside the opposition and risk pushing Iran toward civil war.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
7 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
-
Lazare definitely set the tone Thursday, batting third in the bottom of the first inning and driving the ball over the fence in center field for a two-run homer to spark the Storm to an 11-5 Upstate Eight win over visiting Larkin.—
Rick Armstrong,
Chicago Tribune,
8 May 2026
-
This is definitely the day to do something.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
8 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
-
But the atmosphere at Grand Casino Arena was full of playoff tension, and it was clearly showcased on the ice.—
Theodore Tollefson,
Twin Cities,
8 May 2026
-
Kiana and her emotional support bestie burst The Valley’s aggressive elder millennial energy with an aura clearly curated by TikTok and Instagram.—
Ile-Ife Okantah,
Vulture,
7 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Plainly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plainly. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
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