as in honesty
the free expression of one's true feelings and opinions
not all of her voice students appreciate the straightforwardness with which she tells them that they're not going to make it as professional singers
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Recent Examples of straightforwardness
Mary Gaitskill is particularly good at this ideal combination of straightforwardness and pithiness.
—
Literary Hub, 13 Mar. 2026
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
Literary Hub, 13 Mar. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for straightforwardness
Noun
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The organization has guided enough candidates through multiple cycles to approach these situations with both honesty and genuine optimism, identifying specifically what needs to change and executing adjustments with the same rigor applied to initial preparation.—
Lyssanoel Frater,
USA Today,
3 June 2026
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Thomas Tuchel’s explanation for not taking Cole Palmer to the World Cup was brutal in its honesty.—
Liam Twomey,
New York Times,
3 June 2026
Noun
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What is necessary for a successful religious accommodation request is sincerity, Paul told USA TODAY.—
Greta Cross,
USA Today,
29 May 2026
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While many fans have questioned the sincerity of the effort that A’s owner John Fisher and MLB made to keep the A’s in Oakland, MLB officials also grew frustrated by the process.—
Evan Drellich,
New York Times,
28 May 2026
Noun
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In most workplaces, uncertainty drains more energy than directness.—
Benjamin Laker,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2026
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The title of Hu Anyan’s memoir anticipates the directness of his prose.—
Rumaan Alam,
The New York Review of Books,
23 May 2026
Noun
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Seydoux asks me in a moment of frankness.—
Daniel D'Addario,
Variety,
18 May 2026
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Her love for the city is palpable, imbued with her frankness, her fun, her queerness, and her history.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
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There’s something both startling and seductive about such forthrightness.—
Jeremy Lybarger,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
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To say we are disappointed by the lack of urgency and forthrightness from the city attorney’s office is an understatement.—
City News Service,
Daily News,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Slot, as head coach, was more of a middle manager; someone who acted with the objectivity of a civil servant and the occasional bluntness of a corrections officer.—
Simon Hughes,
New York Times,
30 May 2026
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Rise and fall But Healy, with her characteristic bluntness, didn’t sugar-coat what happened to that law.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
22 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Straightforwardness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/straightforwardness. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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