STRAIGHTFORWARDLY Synonyms: 55 Similar and Opposite Words

straightforwardly

adverb

as in openly

in an honest and direct manner straightforwardly yet compassionately, the doctor tells his cancer patients what their odds for survival are

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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 straightforwardly While the use of AI in the filmmaking process remains a delicate topic in Hollywood, Wall Street has a more straightforwardly Darwinian view. — Dade Hayes, Deadline, 12 Aug. 2026 In her final Facebook post, Josée straightforwardly leaves a link to the time and place of her funeral. — Sai Rajagopal, STAT, 4 Aug. 2026 Reilly, who composed the song wholesale, seems content to swap his Satie-esque irresolution for something straightforwardly plaintive, like a lullaby. — Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 30 July 2026 Perhaps the cleanest rebuke of noisy nativism would be for England to win, and, if Tuchel can take that final step that eluded Southgate, he’ll be immortalized, too—perhaps in a prestige miniseries of his own, and a more straightforwardly triumphal one at that. — Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 18 June 2026 What that means is barely explained in the show’s opening arc, which is more straightforwardly rendered than the increasingly surreal final episodes, yet already a strange work rife with symbolism and abstract visual storytelling. — Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 12 June 2026 Another was more straightforwardly hopeful, expressing a wish to see Iran progress in the tournament and a belief that success on the pitch might, however tentatively, cut across political divisions. — Shirvin Zeinalzadeh, The Conversation, 11 June 2026 Lily Allen, Jack Whitehall and Timothy Spall also star in Tina Gharavi's SXSW London opener, which refashions Woolf's diffuse, ruminative feminist novel into a straightforwardly inspirational tale. — Guy Lodge, Variety, 3 June 2026 The slapstick titles—Crackned Horsez, To of Them, Ape Island, all 1972—further stymied any straightforwardly polemical takeaway. — Jeremy Lybarger, Artforum, 2 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for straightforwardly

Adverb

Be an active listener When talking to family members about changing traditions, do your best to listen openly and without judgment to what others are saying.

— Parents, Parents, 27 Oct. 2026
The warning carries more weight in the wake of Trump’s decision to openly back Netanyahu ahead of Israel’s election.

— Hamidreza Azizi, Time, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of openly

Adverb

Through a layered and deeply nuanced performance, Cardellini transforms what could have been a straightforward femme fatale into a fiercely compelling protagonist.

— Dana Feldman, Forbes.com, 8 June 2026
The mix’s seasoning veers straightforward and notably doesn’t list horseradish.

— Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 20 Jan. 2026

Definition of straightforward

Adverb

Shoppers are being told plainly that premium pricing does not equal better results.

— Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 26 Oct. 2026
Adams, usually so conciliatory, plainly voices her disgust with the unethical Mexican clinic which gave McQueen false hope, and side-eyes his late-in-life turn to Christianity.

— Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of plainly

Adverb

Foley has been the one board member who has forthrightly stood up for oversight and accountability on every key issue.

— The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 16 Apr. 2026
Coming off the ice, Malinin forthrightly congratulated the winner, Mikhail Shaidorov of Kazakhstan, as if to communicate that Shaidorov won the prize from his own efforts, not from Malinin’s failure.

— Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 2026

Definition of forthrightly

Adverb

But, after spending months touting the benefits that Warner assets would bring, Netflix abruptly pulled out of the auction in late February when Paramount’s Ellison upped his company’s offer.

— Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2026
After that war had ended, the period of Democratic hegemony under President Franklin Roosevelt also ended, and abruptly, with the results of the midterm of 1946.

— Ron Elving, NPR, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of abruptly

Adverb

Part of me thinks that friends should be able to share their feelings/perspectives honestly.

— Eric Thomas, Sun Sentinel, 27 Oct. 2026
Did the network honestly think a large portion of the college football base would not stay up for a late kickoff that came after Notre Dame played Miami, or Georgia faced Ole Miss in primetime?

— Trey Wallace OutKick, FOXNews.com, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of honestly

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“Straightforwardly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/straightforwardly. Accessed 30 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of straightforwardly

adverb

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