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
And Republicans are plainly worried about losing the chamber.
—
Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Much like her involvement in Newcastle’s 2021 takeover, Staveley might be the front for any future bid but would plainly not be the primary funder.
—Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025
This is psychoanalysis, plainly, and there is no escaping the mediation of the psyche.
—Literary Hub, 8 Sep. 2025
Ayala plainly accused Johnson of disregarding the city's police officers, saying the mayor only cares when there's a camera in front of him or when an officer is injured or killed in the line of duty.
—Claudia Levens, jsonline.com, 5 Sep. 2025
To put it plainly, the crowd for McQueen already knows too much.
—José Criales-Unzueta, Vogue, 5 Sep. 2025
One commenter on her story told her plainly that she had been taken advantage of.
—Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2025
If the slow-burn romances between Jim and Pam and, eventually, Dwight and Angela gave the original series heart, The Paper establishes several workplace pairings immediately and plainly, accelerating their advancement.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2025
Said plainly, the program rule defined the game.
—Emil Sayegh, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Much like her involvement in Newcastle’s 2021 takeover, Staveley might be the front for any future bid but would plainly not be the primary funder.
—Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025
This is psychoanalysis, plainly, and there is no escaping the mediation of the psyche.
—Literary Hub, 8 Sep. 2025
Ayala plainly accused Johnson of disregarding the city's police officers, saying the mayor only cares when there's a camera in front of him or when an officer is injured or killed in the line of duty.
—Claudia Levens, jsonline.com, 5 Sep. 2025
To put it plainly, the crowd for McQueen already knows too much.
—José Criales-Unzueta, Vogue, 5 Sep. 2025
One commenter on her story told her plainly that she had been taken advantage of.
—Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2025
If the slow-burn romances between Jim and Pam and, eventually, Dwight and Angela gave the original series heart, The Paper establishes several workplace pairings immediately and plainly, accelerating their advancement.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2025
Said plainly, the program rule defined the game.
—Emil Sayegh, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plainly
Adverb
-
But Moscow has openly rejected proposals from Kyiv’s European allies to contribute to a potential peacekeeping force in Ukraine if a ceasefire deal is finalized.—
Lauren Kent,
CNN Money,
12 Sep. 2025
-
In a first-person essay published in Sports Illustrated in 2013, Collins wrote about his sexuality and became the first openly gay player in any of the four major North American men's professional sports leagues.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
12 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
The small increase in inflation is almost certainly due to Trump’s tariffs.—
Paul Bedard,
The Washington Examiner,
13 Sep. 2025
-
Carlsbad certainly belongs in the talk for the most complete teams in the section.—
Tim Meehan,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
How to rebuild trust in a relationship The first steps to rebuilding trust in a relationship, Prabhu says, is for the partner who was hurt to express their pain to the partner who hurt them, and for the partner who hurt them to sincerely acknowledge and validate the hurt partner's feelings.—
Hannah Yasharoff,
USA Today,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Miller sincerely believes there’s a game for everyone.—
Michael Deeds,
Idaho Statesman,
11 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
Pressing global issues, including Russia and Ukraine, Russia's threat to NATO's Eastern flank and the war in Gaza will surely be a main topic for the leaders.—
Michelle Stoddart,
ABC News,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Dillane remarked that this is the beginning of their partnership, which will surely reveal itself over time.—
José Criales-Unzueta,
Vogue,
16 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
Bringing The Abstract Into Focus Some health topics are just plain hard to explain.—
Kristine Johnson,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Its characters also express racist, sexist, homophobic, and just plain disturbing sentiments.—
Kevin Dickinson,
Big Think,
2 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
While there is definitely debate on whether or not the graphic videos of Kirk’s death should be shown, those rejoicing in his death are receiving rapid retribution.—
Amy DeLaura,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Mike's definitely got his own thing, his own voice and everything.—
Haadiza Ogwude,
The Enquirer,
12 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
Sustainable peace requires genuine, enforceable guarantees that clearly deter Putin from ever invading Ukraine again.—
Oleksandra Matviichuk,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Sep. 2025
-
As consumer interest in cabin air quality grows, companies can benefit by communicating their efforts clearly and credibly.—
Anan Bishara,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
But then Belly scraps her Parisian plans and pledges her young life to Jeremiah, a rising super senior at Finch majoring in getting high and going to Cabo (which, quite honestly, is more age-appropriate than a wedding).—
Vogue,
Vogue,
11 Sep. 2025
-
But tag-ins and assists are still essential and, honestly, easier than ever.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
9 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Plainly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plainly. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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