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
-
The actor, 39, pleaded guilty to three misdemeanor counts of simple battery in a Louisiana criminal court Wednesday, June 3, according to records obtained by USA TODAY.—
Liza Esquibias,
USA Today,
3 June 2026
-
At the time, the New Orleans Police Department confirmed its officers charged LaBeouf with two counts of simple battery for allegedly assaulting two men near a bar in the French Quarter.—
Alexandra Del Rosario,
Los Angeles Times,
3 June 2026
Adjective
-
In today’s fascination with affordable, tiny houses, the legacy of traditional American architecture is in plain sight.—
Time,
Time,
2 June 2026
-
This one, though, is as plain as the sunshine on a warm Texas day.—
Trey Wallace OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
2 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
-
Putting Rue’s apolitical faith in nationalist terms for the show’s closing image reads like one last thumbing of the nose that butts up against the season’s occasional naked sincerity.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
1 June 2026
-
Soon, the outline of the Milky Way could be seen by the naked eye.—
Jon Gambrell,
Los Angeles Times,
31 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unvarnished.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unvarnished. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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