as in honesty
the free expression of one's true feelings and opinions
the refreshing bluntness of the former president in assessing those who followed him in the Oval Office
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Recent Examples of bluntness
But the bluntness of the lyrics arrives just as quickly, undercutting the atmosphere by naming too plainly what the music had already begun to evoke with greater force.
—
Emma Madden, Pitchfork, 30 Apr. 2026
If someone tends to have more of a combative communication style, they might have been raised to see bluntness as just telling the truth.
—Nancy Pulciano, Rolling Stone, 20 Apr. 2026
Queen Elizabeth loved Kelly’s pragmatic bluntness and viewed her as an incredibly loyal friend.
—Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 15 Apr. 2026
Inspired by the super cropped bobs of the roaring 1920s, the French bob is similar to a one-length short bob, but sans any harsh bluntness.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 14 Apr. 2026
Close is known for her bluntness and passion that has endeared her to fans and to her players.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 5 Apr. 2026
Villa’s offensive bluntness has exacerbated other wrinkles within Emery’s collective structure.
—Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026
She’s built a career on candid takes about relationships, work and the absurdities of everyday life, delivered with her trademark mix of bluntness and charm.
—Travis Pinson, Dallas Morning News, 29 Jan. 2026
Claxton boiled it down to the same thing, only with a player’s bluntness.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 25 Jan. 2026
Emma Madden, Pitchfork, 30 Apr. 2026
If someone tends to have more of a combative communication style, they might have been raised to see bluntness as just telling the truth.
—Nancy Pulciano, Rolling Stone, 20 Apr. 2026
Queen Elizabeth loved Kelly’s pragmatic bluntness and viewed her as an incredibly loyal friend.
—Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 15 Apr. 2026
Inspired by the super cropped bobs of the roaring 1920s, the French bob is similar to a one-length short bob, but sans any harsh bluntness.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 14 Apr. 2026
Close is known for her bluntness and passion that has endeared her to fans and to her players.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 5 Apr. 2026
Villa’s offensive bluntness has exacerbated other wrinkles within Emery’s collective structure.
—Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026
She’s built a career on candid takes about relationships, work and the absurdities of everyday life, delivered with her trademark mix of bluntness and charm.
—Travis Pinson, Dallas Morning News, 29 Jan. 2026
Claxton boiled it down to the same thing, only with a player’s bluntness.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 25 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bluntness
Noun
-
That includes not wanting to help people through tactful honesty.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The Moon settles into your 4th House of Home, where honesty builds trust quickly.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Floyd’s sincerity, the startling extremity of his concern for the comfort of others, snaps Clark out of his depressed, and depressing, complacency.—
Alexandra Schwartz,
New Yorker,
24 Apr. 2026
-
But as the left grows increasingly distrustful of big tech companies, progressives aren’t convinced of the moguls’ sincerity.—
Nicholas Wu,
semafor.com,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Just as the story mines humor from the collision of old-fashioned ways with a modern frankness, Paul’s score combines the appeal of jaunty golden-age sounds with a freshness that feels present day.—
Naveen Kumar,
Variety,
21 Apr. 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
-
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
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The plainspoken lyrics align with a broader embrace of sincerity, privileging emotional directness over irony.—
Emma Madden,
Pitchfork,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
To say we are disappointed by the lack of urgency and forthrightness from the city attorney’s office is an understatement.—
City News Service,
Daily News,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Fortune spoke with six people who have invested in Anthropic to get a sense of how this key constituency is feeling about the situation, and found that opinions were not unified despite the company’s longstanding forthrightness about its values.—
Jessica Mathews,
Fortune,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Kerr’s success is as rare as his candor.—
Charles Bethea,
New Yorker,
26 Apr. 2026
-
The series will see Morgan engage in in-depth conversations with influential figures across sports, politics, global affairs, business, and culture, with his signature candor and incisive interviewing style.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
23 Apr. 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
-
His outspokenness has spurred discourse among country music's Republican-leaning audience.—
Mars Salazar,
Austin American Statesman,
2 Apr. 2026
-
The actor recently reflected on his political outspokenness in an interview with Vanity Fair.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bluntness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bluntness. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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