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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 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

Coy McAlexander, Remedora's CEO, has openly acknowledged facilitating the sale of retatrutide.

— Daniel Gilbert, CBS News, 16 Sep. 2026
This is where financial risk control measures, such as internal monitoring of accounting activities and openly communicating with stakeholders, are key.

— Shawn L. Davenport, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 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

Press notes from Particle6 encourage reporters to engage sincerely with Norwood and maintain there is no script or pre-written answers.

— Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 14 Sep. 2026
Most of these programs are offered through wholesale channels rather than the retail bank on the corner, which is why the loan officer at a national depository may sincerely believe no such option exists.

— Karen Koehler, Miami Herald, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of sincerely

Adverb

Best-seller rank is built from sales, not from ratings, as Amazon states plainly, so a product that is not being recommended is not making the sales that earn the rank that earns the recommendation.

— Srijith Ravikumar, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2026
Sunderland have plainly missed that deadline this season too and four Premier League games have already been played, including a primetime hosting of champions Arsenal last Saturday evening.

— Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of plainly

Adverb

The main restaurant, simply called the Dining Room, received a lot of attention during the renovation.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Sep. 2026
There is no compelling plotline to give the movie momentum, and there are slack moments when the set pieces simply don’t work.

— Victor Garber, Vulture, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of simply

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

Season five ended abruptly after a video leaked of Taylor Frankie Paul throwing a stool at her ex Dakota Mortensen and almost hitting her daughter.

— Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 15 Sep. 2026
In July 2025, however, Bar K closed abruptly and, one month later, filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection in federal court.

— Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of abruptly

Cite this Entry

Style

“Straightforwardly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/straightforwardly. Accessed 18 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of straightforwardly

adverb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

churlish

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Popular in Wordplay

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 18

Popular

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Games & Quizzes