plainly

adverb

Definition of plainlynext
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

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 State plainly, and then prove with your decisions, that time freed by AI goes toward better work and growth rather than toward cuts. — Mark Murphy, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026 Yet everyone in the United States, lawfully or otherwise, is plainly subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. — Noah Feldman, Mercury News, 7 July 2026 Challengers argued that such a broad law is plainly unconstitutional under a variety of Supreme Court precedents, holding that children do have substantial free speech rights. — Nina Totenberg, NPR, 6 July 2026 John Roberts plainly does not want to go down as the Chief Justice under whom this Supreme Court became hopelessly divided, with the automatic 6–3, the automatic pro-conservative outcome. — Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 6 July 2026 These types of suits, such as this one brought by the Republican National Committee, plainly intend to promote voter suppression. — John E. Jones Iii, The Conversation, 1 July 2026 Thirteen years later, in a 1973 feature for Backpacker magazine, Saijo put it plainly. — Literary Hub, 29 June 2026 State your limit plainly and offer a fair adjustment. — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 26 June 2026 Editors at The Good Trade put it plainly. — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Charlotte Observer, 25 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plainly
  1. openly
  2. certainly
  3. sincerely
  4. surely
  5. plain
  6. definitely
  7. honestly
  8. clearly
Adverb
  • However, the creator is fielding queries openly and the project has already surpassed it funding goal.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 10 July 2026
  • Huffman, who represents a sprawling slice of Northern California, reaching from the Bay Area to the Oregon border, is one of just four members (out of more than 500) who are openly agnostic or religiously unaffiliated.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
Definition of openly
Adverb
  • Mediators of the deal, led by Pakistan and Qatar, will almost certainly now be hurriedly trying to get the agreement back on the rails.
    — Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 8 July 2026
  • The captain, certainly, but not the most important person on the field.
    — Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
Definition of certainly
Adverb
  • Clint and his management team sincerely apologize for the inconvenience this cancellation may cause.
    — Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 2 July 2026
  • Here was a government that had explicitly borrowed from Beijing’s developmental playbook and sincerely attempted to imitate it, but failed.
    — Wesley Alexander Hill, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
Definition of sincerely
Adverb
  • While the initiative will surely fail at the polls, the fact that campaign organizers were able to get enough signatures and raise funding from out-of-state sources hints at a long-term effort that outdoorsmen everywhere should pay attention to.
    — Kris Millgate, Outdoor Life, 9 July 2026
  • The human personality resists easy analysis — that is surely one of Aviv’s takeaways.
    — Julia M. Klein, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
Definition of surely
Adverb
  • In the eighth inning, Hughes was plain crazy, and five singles, a double, a sacrifice and one base on balls produced six runs.
    — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 7 July 2026
  • Others are just plain offensive when seen through modern eyes, serving as reminders of the rampant whitewashing of the early film industry.
    — Miguel Otárola, Denver Post, 6 July 2026
Definition of plain
Adverb
  • So that was definitely one of the very appealing parts of this package.
    — Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 10 July 2026
  • She was definitely received like a rock star surprising their fans.
    — Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 10 July 2026
Definition of definitely
Adverb
  • There's a mobile app (Android/iOS) and a desktop app (Windows only), but honestly, who wants more apps bloating their already bloated app ecosystem?
    — Joe Salas July 07, New Atlas, 8 July 2026
  • There should honestly be a sequel parody of Twister where the storm chasers use tornados to cover up their kills.
    — Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 7 July 2026
Definition of honestly
Adverb
  • But the idea of luxury accessories serving as emotional armor amid economic uncertainty clearly resonates with consumers and marketeers capitalizing on the phenomenon.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 8 July 2026
  • Haaland clearly came into the World Cup intending to love it.
    — Tim Spiers, New York Times, 8 July 2026
Definition of clearly

Browse Nearby Words

plain Janes
plainly
plainness
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Cite this Entry

“Plainly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plainly. Accessed 15 Jul. 2026.

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