: showing defects or imperfections frankly : not idealized
a warts-and-all biography

Examples of warts-and-all in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The warts-and-all approach and strong performances across the board elevate this absorbing, but overly long, look at the early professional and personal life of music legend and revered groundbreaker Bob Dylan. Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 24 Dec. 2024 The film’s warts-and-all perspective emphasizes the human factor rather than tracking a conventional model of underdog heroics. Steve Dollar, Los Angeles Times, 2 Dec. 2024 The problem is that Ronan is also forging her compelling warts-and-all portrait of obliteration and recovery in another type of gale storm, that of undisciplined filmmaking at odds with the patient harvesting of characterization. Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2024 To his credit, Young pulls no punches on himself in this collection — the cringeworthy material is presented alongside the great stuff, adding up to a warts-and-all document of those challenging years. Jem Aswad, Variety, 6 Sep. 2024 The city, with its warts-and-all friendliness, has a small-town feel. Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 10 June 2024 Her warts-and-all portrayal is a striking exercise in empathy and generosity. Chris Bellamy and Stephanie Kaloi, EW.com, 2 May 2024 After #MeToo exposed and deposed powerful men across every industry, perhaps it feels dated to portray a significant historical figure without taking a warts-and-all approach. Kyle Buchanan, New York Times, 28 Feb. 2024 Similarly, there’s relatively little done to develop the supporting players, and other than one flash of temper, the movie presents a largely unblemished snapshot of Marley, especially compared to the warts-and-all excesses depicted in other biographical tales covering musical superstars. Brian Lowry, CNN, 14 Feb. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1957, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of warts-and-all was in 1957

Dictionary Entries Near warts-and-all

Cite this Entry

“Warts-and-all.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/warts-and-all. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.

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