as in honesty
the free expression of one's true feelings and opinions
considering her reputation for frankness, I knew she would tell me what she really thought of my dress
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 frankness
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
In the case of non-professionals, especially children, generosity should prevail over frankness.
—Judith Martin, Mercury News, 14 Apr. 2026
Fulmer also delivers some comedic moments as Alycia, whose fast-talking frankness can be quite funny, albeit tone-deaf at times.
—Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
Her emotional frankness has also translated into measurable commercial impact.
—Amy Francombe, Vogue, 4 Mar. 2026
From a cultural perspective, William's frankness is a significant development.
—Stefania Conrieri, Vanity Fair, 20 Feb. 2026
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt brushed off those comments as an example of the president’s frankness.
—Brett Samuels, The Hill, 8 Dec. 2025
Their frankness and loyalty are also notable when the call is in.
—Lisa Stardust, PEOPLE, 23 Nov. 2025
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
In the case of non-professionals, especially children, generosity should prevail over frankness.
—Judith Martin, Mercury News, 14 Apr. 2026
Fulmer also delivers some comedic moments as Alycia, whose fast-talking frankness can be quite funny, albeit tone-deaf at times.
—Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
Her emotional frankness has also translated into measurable commercial impact.
—Amy Francombe, Vogue, 4 Mar. 2026
From a cultural perspective, William's frankness is a significant development.
—Stefania Conrieri, Vanity Fair, 20 Feb. 2026
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt brushed off those comments as an example of the president’s frankness.
—Brett Samuels, The Hill, 8 Dec. 2025
Their frankness and loyalty are also notable when the call is in.
—Lisa Stardust, PEOPLE, 23 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for frankness
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
-
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
-
The plainspoken lyrics align with a broader embrace of sincerity, privileging emotional directness over irony.—
Emma Madden,
Pitchfork,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
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
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
-
Some athletes early in this era proved that charisma and candidness coupled with their athletic skills could be highly lucrative.—
Chantel Jennings,
New York Times,
10 Mar. 2026
-
The duo have become known for their candidness and light-hearted humor, frequently letting viewers in on the chaos of their real lives.—
Catherine Santino,
PEOPLE,
5 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Frankness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frankness. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
