as in outspoken
free in expressing one's true feelings and opinions
a plainspoken woman who never hesitated to speak the unvarnished truth
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Recent Examples of plainspoken
Abel will assume responsibility for Berkshire’s annual shareholder letters, a tradition Buffett began in 1965 that became essential reading on Wall Street for its plainspoken lessons on markets, management and capital allocation.
—
Yun Li, CNBC, 1 Jan. 2026
In a genre known for honest and plainspoken storytelling, the group’s members — with their varied talents, experiences and perspectives — work to take the music one step further.
—Shannon Marie Tovey, AJC.com, 1 Jan. 2026
These poems are plainspoken, emotionally direct, haunted by the past and the inexorability of time.
—Vince Passaro, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
With Michael Shannon magnificently plainspoken as Garfield, Matthew Macfadyen tragically deranged as Charles Guiteau and Nick Offerman steeped in inner conflict as undeserving Vice President Chester Alan Arthur, this is as good as historical drama gets.
—Julie Hinds, Freep.com, 23 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for plainspoken
Yun Li, CNBC, 1 Jan. 2026
In a genre known for honest and plainspoken storytelling, the group’s members — with their varied talents, experiences and perspectives — work to take the music one step further.
—Shannon Marie Tovey, AJC.com, 1 Jan. 2026
These poems are plainspoken, emotionally direct, haunted by the past and the inexorability of time.
—Vince Passaro, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
With Michael Shannon magnificently plainspoken as Garfield, Matthew Macfadyen tragically deranged as Charles Guiteau and Nick Offerman steeped in inner conflict as undeserving Vice President Chester Alan Arthur, this is as good as historical drama gets.
—Julie Hinds, Freep.com, 23 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for plainspoken
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plainspoken
Adjective
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Fine is more supportive of Israel while Biss and Abughazaleh, an outspoken Gen Z influencer who is Palestinian American, have been more critical.—
Phillip M. Bailey,
USA Today,
17 Mar. 2026
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Meanwhile, his company’s treatment of its essential workers, and the firing of Chris Smalls, an outspoken employee in a Staten Island warehouse, triggered the creation of the first Amazon union—a milestone in the recent surge of labor activism in America.—
George Packer,
The Atlantic,
16 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Academically, no; the call for honest and accurate citation of one’s sources will, and must, ring out as forcefully as ever.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
22 Mar. 2026
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The show was described as an honest look at an oft-misunderstood job, according to an application for film incentives submitted to the state in May 2025 and reviewed by The News.—
Uwa Ede-Osifo,
Dallas Morning News,
21 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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After exiting social media in 2024, Barry Keoghan recently got candid about the toll online abuse has taken on his career.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
22 Mar. 2026
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Despite high-profile politicians including former President Joe Biden, a lifelong Catholic Democrat, being candid about their faith, Trone Garriott thinks part of the reason many Democrats have failed to engage certain religious groups is a discomfort in talking meaningfully about it.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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These are old friends with a difficult dynamic having a very frank discussion with each other.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
13 Mar. 2026
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Open, frank discussions about data centers are a function of a strong, working democracy.—
Mehdi Paryavi,
Sun Sentinel,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Plainspoken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plainspoken. Accessed 23 Mar. 2026.
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