1
as in honesty
the free expression of one's true feelings and opinions
his unabashed plainness in telling people exactly what he thought of them was often offensive
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in simplicity
the quality or state of having a form or structure of few parts or elements
the plainness and clean lines of that coffeemaker make it a piece of modern sculpture as well as a kitchen appliance
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of plainness
Maybe that’s because the interiors have a certain plainness — one that’s accurate to Georgian classicism but boring to Hollywood hotshots.
—
Bethy Squires, Vulture, 12 Mar. 2026
Bethy Squires, Vulture, 12 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plainness
Noun
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Playing the title role of a linguistics professor who faces changes and prepares her family for what's to come as the disease takes hold, Moore navigates the character arc with honesty and heart-tugging empathy.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
10 Mar. 2026
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Being a good role model shows your child how to behave with kindness, honesty, and respect.—
Barrie Gillies,
Parents,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Rather than sugary simplicity, today’s fruity scents lean layered and nuanced.—
Conçetta Ciarlo,
Vogue,
16 Mar. 2026
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Where the original thrived in its simplicity, most of the expansions this sequel makes feel like clutter and take away from the strong core character.—
Chase Hutchinson,
IndieWire,
14 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Her stylistic choices are warm, unique, and grounded in sincerity.—
Heide Janssen,
Oc Register,
15 Mar. 2026
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While fashion has a long history of subverting religious motifs, Spradlin said the colors reflect a shift to sincerity, adding that Gen Z and millennials are outpacing older cohorts in church attendance.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Mangiapane appreciates the coach’s directness.—
Kalen Lumpkins,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Mar. 2026
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That directness takes a distinct form in each artist’s practice.—
Miguel Sirgado,
Miami Herald,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Her emotional frankness has also translated into measurable commercial impact.—
Amy Francombe,
Vogue,
4 Mar. 2026
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The cast rises to the challenge of Churchill’s rapid-fire, often overlapping dialogue, with comedic highlights including Pope Joan’s coarse frankness and Dull Gret’s unexpected interjections.—
Emily McClanathan,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Mary Gaitskill is particularly good at this ideal combination of straightforwardness and pithiness.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 Mar. 2026
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Her question, in Lipe-Smith’s inquisitive piccolo of a voice, is heartbreaking in its blend of straightforwardness and desperate desire, as is her mother’s wavering response.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
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With Dutch bluntness, Van Gaal had informed Carrick that the 2016 FA Cup final would be Carrick’s last match.—
Michael Walker,
New York Times,
2 Mar. 2026
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She’s built a career on candid takes about relationships, work and the absurdities of everyday life, delivered with her trademark mix of bluntness and charm.—
Travis Pinson,
Dallas Morning News,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Fortune spoke with six people who have invested in Anthropic to get a sense of how this key constituency is feeling about the situation, and found that opinions were not unified despite the company’s longstanding forthrightness about its values.—
Jessica Mathews,
Fortune,
5 Mar. 2026
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WalletHub has studied deferred interest since 2012, periodically flagging retailers that offer the loans and rating their financing offers on transparency and forthrightness.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
28 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Plainness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plainness. Accessed 18 Mar. 2026.
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