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 responses — spanning practical strategy, personal storytelling and a fair amount of blunt honesty — reveal what casting is really looking for and why standing out starts with authenticity.—
Terry Terrones,
HollywoodReporter,
13 May 2026
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Despite that questionable track record, Barbie is really good at her job, and her bratty attitude and brazen honesty can be winning, in a mean-girl-in-a-movie kind of way.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
12 May 2026
Noun
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His sincerity is real, his appreciation – for his fans, his band, his crew – is frequently spoken and his music is a continuous Choose Your Own Adventure game.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
17 May 2026
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In an age of global political unrest, a news cycle saturated with mass shootings and gun violence on the streets of America, sincerity feels like a relief.—
Sarah Wang,
PEOPLE,
16 May 2026
Noun
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In that video, her performance seemed oriented toward showcasing technical ability, overriding the song’s directness with display.—
Emma Madden,
Pitchfork,
28 Apr. 2026
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This is the meeting of the messenger planet and the taskmaster, let alone in the zodiac’s most fearless sign, setting the stage for a transit that cuts right through the fluff, forcing truth and directness.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Just as the story mines humor from the collision of old-fashioned ways with a modern frankness, Paul’s score combines the appeal of jaunty golden-age sounds with a freshness that feels present day.—
Naveen Kumar,
Variety,
21 Apr. 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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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
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Fortune spoke with six people who have invested in Anthropic to get a sense of how this key constituency is feeling about the situation, and found that opinions were not unified despite the company’s longstanding forthrightness about its values.—
Jessica Mathews,
Fortune,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
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If a culture prizes bluntness, ask where honesty has been missing.—
Sarah DaVanzo,
Rolling Stone,
11 May 2026
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But the bluntness of the lyrics arrives just as quickly, undercutting the atmosphere by naming too plainly what the music had already begun to evoke with greater force.—
Emma Madden,
Pitchfork,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Straightforwardness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/straightforwardness. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
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