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
Carlile includes some of her most plainly autobiographical lyrics, at the beginning and end (like her first plane trip, one state over, to Idaho, as an adult, an anecdote familiar from her bestselling memoir of a few years back).
—
Chris Willman, Variety, 24 Oct. 2025
What happens when a candidate speaks plainly?
—Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
In a small and plainly shot movie that spends most of its time on Gaslighting 101, sublimates its true premise into the stuff of a late reveal, and whose only sequence of genre-forward suspense is a predictable snooze, such rare moments of real texture stand out all too much.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 22 Oct. 2025
This is plainly and simply a selfish decision on his part.
—ABC News, 19 Oct. 2025
Maybe that’s a delicate dance even for Drinkwitz, who invoked the Alabama game several times but semi-playfully chided the media for relevant questions about the stuff that plainly needs to be shored up.
—Kansas City Star, 15 Oct. 2025
A lot of this occurs off-page, in contrast to the movie, which spells things out incredibly plainly.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2025
The people who are buying it are, plainly, making an investment based on extramusical reasons.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 10 Oct. 2025
This season, Robertson-Harris plays for the New York Giants, whose London experiences have been plainly brilliant.
—Michael Silver, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
Chris Willman, Variety, 24 Oct. 2025
What happens when a candidate speaks plainly?
—Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
In a small and plainly shot movie that spends most of its time on Gaslighting 101, sublimates its true premise into the stuff of a late reveal, and whose only sequence of genre-forward suspense is a predictable snooze, such rare moments of real texture stand out all too much.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 22 Oct. 2025
This is plainly and simply a selfish decision on his part.
—ABC News, 19 Oct. 2025
Maybe that’s a delicate dance even for Drinkwitz, who invoked the Alabama game several times but semi-playfully chided the media for relevant questions about the stuff that plainly needs to be shored up.
—Kansas City Star, 15 Oct. 2025
A lot of this occurs off-page, in contrast to the movie, which spells things out incredibly plainly.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2025
The people who are buying it are, plainly, making an investment based on extramusical reasons.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 10 Oct. 2025
This season, Robertson-Harris plays for the New York Giants, whose London experiences have been plainly brilliant.
—Michael Silver, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plainly
Adverb
-
Parents should discuss digital safety openly.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
25 Oct. 2025
-
That tension brings the conversation back to Mamdani, whose campaign, Piker argues, has tested those boundaries more openly than most.—
Jesus Mesa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
But, in his first game back from a knee sprain, Bichette certainly didn’t look comfortable doing it.—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Kansas redshirt-sophomore guard Elmarko Jackson certainly showed Friday he’s recovered from patellar tendon surgery that forced him to redshirt the 2024-25 campaign.—
Gary Bedore,
Kansas City Star,
25 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
What seemed novel to me was the idea of using it sincerely, quietly, without the implicit mockery of gender categories.—
James Marcus,
New Yorker,
3 Nov. 2025
-
My parents’ house is sincerely stunning; my mom designed the whole thing.—
Bryce Jones,
Better Homes & Gardens,
14 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
That news surely will boost ticket sales for the under-construction Miami Freedom Park Stadium, which is where the team will play home games starting in 2026.—
Michelle Kaufman,
Miami Herald,
29 Oct. 2025
-
While a dog can be bribed with a squeaky toy and a pig would surely look at the camera when enticed with a sausage on a stick, cats are known for their admirably self-serving demeanors.—
Desiree Anello,
PEOPLE,
29 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
To me, there’s nothing more upsetting than excitedly going in the fridge to pull out ingredients for a crisp salad or plate up delicious fruit only to find everything has wilted, gotten mushy, and just plain ol’ sad.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
29 Oct. 2025
-
At best, such ideas come across as quaint; at worst, dangerous or plain wrongheaded.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
28 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
There’s definitely a gap between lab-idea companies to when companies have serious momentum to be getting some pre-seed or angel funding.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Sourcing Journal,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Lokedi said the footwear definitely delivered during her Boston Marathon run.—
Vicki M. Young,
Footwear News,
31 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
Just kidding - but honestly not sold on him being the best player on a championship caliber team.—
The Athletic NBA Staff,
New York Times,
30 Oct. 2025
-
Many of Macy’s interactions have the quality of alternately pushing and easing up—expressing herself honestly and then knowing when to cool off.—
Alex Kotlowitz,
The Atlantic,
29 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
Some videos clearly state their origins, marked with watermarks from AI tools like OpenAI’s latest text-to-video generator, Sora, or Google’s text-to-video model, VEO.—
Moná Thomas,
PEOPLE,
29 Oct. 2025
-
Paul’s far from a finished product, but he’s clearly headed in the right direction in his second season.—
Omar Kelly
October 29,
Miami Herald,
29 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Plainly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plainly. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
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