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 qualities that sustain healthy families, including honesty, accountability, forgiveness, and sacrifice, cannot be purchased or given.—
David H. Rosmarin,
Time,
10 June 2026
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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
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There was such calm, quiet sincerity on his part.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
14 June 2026
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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
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Early on, the client read his directness as arrogance.—
Luis Peralta,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
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There is a remarkable lightness to Tuchel, a candour and directness.—
Jack Pitt-Brooke,
New York Times,
10 June 2026
Noun
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Seydoux asks me in a moment of frankness.—
Daniel D'Addario,
Variety,
18 May 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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Your forthrightness will set the tone for future dates.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
6 June 2026
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There’s something both startling and seductive about such forthrightness.—
Jeremy Lybarger,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
Noun
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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
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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
Cite this Entry
“Straightforwardness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/straightforwardness. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
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