1
as in openly
in an honest and direct manner
you'll have to tell your relatives very plainly that you don't like perfume, or they'll keep giving it to you
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in certainly
without any question
your wife is plainly upset that you didn't invite her to the game with us
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plainly
Adverb
-
Nonetheless, investors should certainly be mindful of the inherent risks.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
29 May 2025 -
In my experience as an actor and as a singer, the thing that has been most useful for me on Broadway, on film sets, and certainly in my concert career is my experience in the small room.—
Brande Victorian,
HollywoodReporter,
29 May 2025
Adverb
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June sincerely forgives her, which comes as a relief to a woman who’s gone through a significant evolution throughout The Handmaid’s Tale.—
Barry Levitt,
Time,
27 May 2025
-
Jokes aside, Lyonne sincerely wants to do more movies.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
13 May 2025
Adverb
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For the Braves to make an eighth consecutive postseason appearance, Strider will surely need to have a big part in getting them there.—
David O'Brien,
New York Times,
28 May 2025
-
Judges might nullify the provision in new cases by setting bond at a token $1, but the administration surely would challenge that.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
27 May 2025
Adverb
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The event took the idea of a celebration of life to heart—guests wore pastel colors and the run of show included eulogy-turned-comedy acts all about Caliente, as well as roasts that walked the line between dark humor and just plain dark.—
Margaux Anbouba,
Vogue,
22 May 2025
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The tidal wave of deals means the 13 times multiple on Goldman Sachs stock is just plain silly.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
21 May 2025
Adverb
-
The smoot framerate, excellent resolution, variety of play styles, amount of content, and new game modes definitely place this in the top tier of third-party games available.—
David Jagneaux,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2025
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That’s definitely on that same river of where those players are coming from.—
Théoden Janes,
Charlotte Observer,
27 May 2025
Adverb
-
And our goal is clearly not to find a qualified and interested U.S. worker.—
Alec MacGillis,
ProPublica,
3 June 2025
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Drawing the line between criticism and hate Jonathan, a Jewish young professional in Washington, D.C., said political leaders must more clearly condemn rhetoric that veers into incitement.—
Samantha-Jo Roth,
The Washington Examiner,
3 June 2025
Adverb
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The robots, honestly, aren’t yet amazing at punching and kicking each other, and sometimes fall off-balance while attacking or defending themselves.—
John Koetsier,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2025
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Each shopper is limited to 3 Lip Butter Balms per color per purchase, and honestly, that’s just not enough!—
Alyssa Grabinski,
People.com,
31 May 2025
Adverb
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Of course, that’s a conversation for the fall (though the weather in Minneapolis and Detroit this week sure feels like playoff weather).—
Zack Meisel,
New York Times,
22 May 2025
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And if anybody thinks things get easier now that the Celtics have been booted all the way to next season must have missed what the Pacers just did to the Cavaliers, whose regular season sure was better than Boston’s.—
Mike Lupica,
New York Daily News,
20 May 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Plainly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plainly. Accessed 7 Jun. 2025.
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