POINT-BLANK Synonyms: 129 Similar and Opposite Words

point-blank 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of point-blank

as in straight-out

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Dissimilar Words

point-blank

2 of 2

adverb

as in brusquely

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Dissimilar 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 point-blank

Adjective

Officers said two people reportedly met at a nearby shopping center, but the suspect at some point exited the truck and shot the victim at point-blank range. — Matthew Ablon, CBS News, 5 Aug. 2026 Jones, often Roach’s rotational partner at nose tackle for the last two seasons, offered a point-blank endorsement of Roach as a starter for 2026. — Luca Evans, Denver Post, 5 Aug. 2026 And Mostafa Shobeir, the Egypt goalkeeper, was playing out of his skin, making a magnificent point-blank save from Alexis Mac Allister. — Adam Crafton, New York Times, 20 July 2026 The Cape Verde supporters also erupted in the 62nd minute when their beloved 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha denied Messi at point-blank range. — Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 13 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for point-blank

Recent Examples of Synonyms for point-blank

Adjective

When’s the last time everyone straight-out applauded the Dolphins draft?

— Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 24 Apr. 2026
Are people just straight-out living here under those blue tarps?

— Kristin Dombek, Harpers Magazine, 21 Apr. 2026

Definition of straight-out

Adverb

Yet, White House officials told me, Biden sometimes brusquely dismissed the views of both men, raising his voice as though berating children.

— David D. Kirkpatrick, New Yorker, 20 July 2026
In some instances, judges brusquely threw cases out of court after prosecutors walked in with little evidence.

— Brian Rokos, Daily News, 7 May 2026

Definition of brusquely

Adjective

Katarzyna Nowakowska, Poland's deputy minister for family, labor and social policy, told the AP that the most vulnerable applicants still receive direct help from the state and any other refugees needing support should turn to social workers.

— ABC News, ABC News, 25 Aug. 2026
To enjoy it past its best-by date safely, store your tea bags in a cool, dry place away from heat, humidity, and direct sunlight, Tucker says.

— Olivia McIntosh, Martha Stewart, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of direct

Adverb

Heavy rain can sharply reduce visibility and create dangerous road conditions even before flooding begins.

— Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2026
Israel sharply criticized the UK after London voiced opposition to the Jewish state’s support for settlements in the occupied West Bank, the latest in a series of rows with once strong Western allies.

— Tasneem Nashrulla, semafor.com, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of sharply

Adjective

Panettiere similarly tackled the issue of mental health with frank discussions about her own struggles with substance abuse and postpartum depression.

— Edward Segarra, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2026
Pierre and Jagannathan’s scenes have a charge enhanced by their characters’ age gap and frank conversations about navigating the overwhelmingly white Rushville.

— Alison Herman, Variety, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of frank

Adverb

Luann patiently attempts to explain that the women don’t like being lectured to about their business affairs, only for Vicki to abruptly answer a phone call mid-conversation.

— Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 24 Aug. 2026
At a virtual town hall meeting, Navy families who abruptly evacuated from Bahrain six months ago had many questions.

— Steve Walsh, NPR, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of abruptly

Adjective

In the interview, Rubio appeared relaxed, candid and funny – very different from his usual public appearances.

— Nicole Russell, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2026
Ford, even more than Antonioni, renders characters’ social context both intellectually and dramatically explicit by way of extensive, florid, candid, confrontational dialogue.

— Richard Brody, New Yorker, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of candid

Adverb

Rose’s relationship with her father, too, is unusual in its unresolved jaggedness, while Sisto’s gruffly on-edge performance points to a deeper well of adult pain in Wes that his daughter cannot yet manage or comprehend.

— Guy Lodge, Variety, 8 June 2026
Chief among the familiar faces is Aaron Taylor-Johnson as the stoic, gruffly professional explosives-disposal expert Major Will Tranter, who shows up at a construction site in the heart of London where an unexploded, 1,000-pound WWII bomb has just been found.

— Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 23 Apr. 2026

Definition of gruffly

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point

point-blank

pointed

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“Point-blank.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/point-blank. Accessed 26 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of point-blank

adjective

adverb

Example Sentences

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