as in simple
free from all additions or embellishment
I'm telling the unvarnished truth
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Recent Examples of unvarnished
But as always, these writers-directors present an unvarnished look at life on the margins, following a group of adolescent mothers, some of them single.
—
Los Angeles Times, 16 Jan. 2026
Like the rest of Italy, so many answers can be found in the kitchen, and some of Sicily’s finest food can be bought roadside or in its energetic, unvarnished markets, where rituals as old as the mottled walls unfold.
—Rosalyn Wikeley, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Jan. 2026
These performances are forthright, unvarnished.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 9 Jan. 2026
In these allegories of dehumanization, greed, and hope, Marshall takes an unvarnished view of his subjects, one that doesn’t sugarcoat the past or succumb to nostalgia for a mythical, precolonial Golden Age.
—James Meyer, Artforum, 1 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unvarnished
Los Angeles Times, 16 Jan. 2026
Like the rest of Italy, so many answers can be found in the kitchen, and some of Sicily’s finest food can be bought roadside or in its energetic, unvarnished markets, where rituals as old as the mottled walls unfold.
—Rosalyn Wikeley, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Jan. 2026
These performances are forthright, unvarnished.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 9 Jan. 2026
In these allegories of dehumanization, greed, and hope, Marshall takes an unvarnished view of his subjects, one that doesn’t sugarcoat the past or succumb to nostalgia for a mythical, precolonial Golden Age.
—James Meyer, Artforum, 1 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unvarnished
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unvarnished
Adjective
-
That simple sentiment distills what being a Louisianan is about.—
Carlie Procell,
USA Today,
18 Feb. 2026
-
No doubt history would be very different if a citizen’s duty was simple obeyance.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
18 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Instead the biscuits made from the mix were plain; my favorite part was the garlic and parsley butter brushed on top.—
Shilpa Uskokovic,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
17 Feb. 2026
-
And very plain and simple, just depressed.—
Scott Feinberg,
HollywoodReporter,
17 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The song doesn’t end in a triumphant singalong or a moment of closure, either, just refreshingly unadorned Justin Vernon harmonies.—
Hannah Jocelyn,
Pitchfork,
20 Feb. 2026
-
In stark contrast to Hatixhe’s unadorned sensibility, Adelina comes across as Western European, from her elegant clothing to her fertility treatments.—
Sheri Linden,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Our mission to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, to house the homeless, to teach the illiterate, to provide jobs for the jobless, and to choose the human race over the nuclear race.—
Cheryl Corley,
NPR,
17 Feb. 2026
-
The next iteration of the naked dress trend is officially all about putting a skimpy twist on knitwear.—
Meg Walters,
InStyle,
16 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unvarnished.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unvarnished. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
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