Definition of directnessnext

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of directness In that video, her performance seemed oriented toward showcasing technical ability, overriding the song’s directness with display. Emma Madden, Pitchfork, 28 Apr. 2026 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 Beneath those explicit instructions, personality is also shaped by reinforcement learning from human feedback, a process in which human raters reward certain qualities such as warmth, directness and caution, and penalize unwanted behaviors. Tamilla Triantoro, The Conversation, 13 Apr. 2026 The directness with which the camera meets the eyes of the film’s subjects suggests compassion for their disfigurement and isolation (indeed, Farrokhzad adopted a boy from the colony), but there are no interviews. Richard Brody, New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for directness
Recent Examples of Synonyms for directness
Noun
  • The qualities that sustain healthy families, including honesty, accountability, forgiveness, and sacrifice, cannot be purchased or given.
    David H. Rosmarin, Time, 10 June 2026
  • The focus was on honesty in materials and construction, simple forms, and harmonious indoor-outdoor spaces, with plenty of room left over for personal flourishes that reflected the spirit of the site and lifestyle of the young family, including their 5-year-old daughter, Stevie.
    Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 9 June 2026
Noun
  • There was such calm, quiet sincerity on his part.
    Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 14 June 2026
  • Darry Sragow, a veteran Democratic strategist who advised Checchi, said Steyer’s focus on such causes had the potential to be meaningful to voters who are often skeptical about the sincerity and motives of rich candidates.
    Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 10 June 2026
Noun
  • Seydoux asks me in a moment of frankness.
    Daniel D'Addario, Variety, 18 May 2026
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
Noun
  • Your forthrightness will set the tone for future dates.
    Daniel de Visé, USA Today, 6 June 2026
  • There’s something both startling and seductive about such forthrightness.
    Jeremy Lybarger, Artforum, 2 June 2026
Noun
  • Mary Gaitskill is particularly good at this ideal combination of straightforwardness and pithiness.
    Literary Hub, 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
Noun
  • When candor carries hidden penalties, leaders learn to preserve standing.
    Britton Bloch, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026
  • For all its candor about current stress, Goldman is ultimately making a bull case—grounded in specific structural shifts.
    Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 10 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Directness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/directness. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.

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