as in simple
free from all additions or embellishment
I'm telling the unvarnished truth
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Recent Examples of unvarnished
Seahouses has an unvarnished appeal that feels increasingly rare.
—
Rob Crossan, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 May 2026
Through unvarnished and deeply human storytelling, Jafar reminds us that art, at its most powerful, is an act of freedom.
—Nazanin Boniadi, Time, 15 Apr. 2026
The Perfect Neighbor gives an unvarnished accounting of the events leading up to and following Owens’ murder using body cam footage collected during the police’s prior visits to the killer’s house.
—James Mercadante, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Apr. 2026
Following a car crash in Florida last month, and the subsequent release of numerous police videos showing the aftermath, the world was presented with an unvarnished view of a broken hero.
—Don Riddell, CNN Money, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unvarnished
Rob Crossan, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 May 2026
Through unvarnished and deeply human storytelling, Jafar reminds us that art, at its most powerful, is an act of freedom.
—Nazanin Boniadi, Time, 15 Apr. 2026
The Perfect Neighbor gives an unvarnished accounting of the events leading up to and following Owens’ murder using body cam footage collected during the police’s prior visits to the killer’s house.
—James Mercadante, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Apr. 2026
Following a car crash in Florida last month, and the subsequent release of numerous police videos showing the aftermath, the world was presented with an unvarnished view of a broken hero.
—Don Riddell, CNN Money, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unvarnished
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unvarnished
Adjective
-
My wife goes into the kitchen and returns with beer, fruit, and a few simple dishes.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
-
The measure needs a simple majority to win.—
Rebecca Ellis,
Los Angeles Times,
10 June 2026
Adjective
-
Whenever your outfit feels a little plain, these goodies will inject some welcome personality—all without blowing a hole in your budget.—
Jake Henry Smith,
Glamour,
8 June 2026
-
The mezzanine’s railing alternates plain bronze spindles with miniature art deco skyscrapers.—
Justin Davidson,
Curbed,
8 June 2026
Adjective
-
Her figures lounged, stood, or in one instance danced in unadorned, nearly empty interiors composed with broad, feathery brushstrokes.—
Lovia Gyarkye,
The New York Review of Books,
6 June 2026
-
The film is simultaneously unadorned and deeply oppressive, staying close to the historical record (while fictionalizing the circumstances of Moulin’s eventual death, or martyrdom) in a fashion that offers little perspective, beyond a humanist call-to-arms and appeal toward remembrance.—
David Katz,
IndieWire,
18 May 2026
Adjective
-
Upon entering a second-floor bedroom, police found Christine naked except for her socks, bleeding from fatal stab wounds to the neck.—
Alyssa Modos,
PEOPLE,
9 June 2026
-
John Quincy Adams was fit enough to take daily naked swims in the Potomac River while in office.—
Will Weissert,
Fortune,
9 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unvarnished.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unvarnished. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
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