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
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Recent Examples of plainly
But, given that the NCAA has a pretty strong stance on gambling, and rules are plainly stated, getting an injunction seems like a tough path.
—
Trey Wallace Outkick, FOXNews.com, 29 Apr. 2026
At the 1952 conference of the National Association of Amusement Parks, Pools, and Beaches, Ed Schott of Cincinnati’s Coney Island put it plainly.
—Roland Betancourt, Fortune, 28 Apr. 2026
Brown said it plainly afterward, pointing to the numbers that showed where the Knicks lost control.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 21 Apr. 2026
And plainly put, Eddie is one of the greatest.
—Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 19 Apr. 2026
Trump is just saying so plainly.
—The Week Uk, TheWeek, 11 Apr. 2026
State your value plainly, then take the lead.
—Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 10 Apr. 2026
This winter, the grim facts were written plainly on the landscape — in brown hillsides, dry peaks and the early blooms of spring.
—Mark Dee, Idaho Statesman, 10 Apr. 2026
Happy Valley is plainly a police state run for the benefit of massive corporations.
—Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2026
Trey Wallace Outkick, FOXNews.com, 29 Apr. 2026
At the 1952 conference of the National Association of Amusement Parks, Pools, and Beaches, Ed Schott of Cincinnati’s Coney Island put it plainly.
—Roland Betancourt, Fortune, 28 Apr. 2026
Brown said it plainly afterward, pointing to the numbers that showed where the Knicks lost control.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 21 Apr. 2026
And plainly put, Eddie is one of the greatest.
—Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 19 Apr. 2026
Trump is just saying so plainly.
—The Week Uk, TheWeek, 11 Apr. 2026
State your value plainly, then take the lead.
—Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 10 Apr. 2026
This winter, the grim facts were written plainly on the landscape — in brown hillsides, dry peaks and the early blooms of spring.
—Mark Dee, Idaho Statesman, 10 Apr. 2026
Happy Valley is plainly a police state run for the benefit of massive corporations.
—Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plainly
Adverb
-
The practice has surged in popularity as celebrities and pro athletes openly share their routines.—
Samantha Agate,
Charlotte Observer,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Even commentators who are openly critical have begun to borrow the same phrasing, the same rhythm, the same constant escalation.—
Atom Ariola,
Mercury News,
30 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
Senior catcher Owen Weber was certainly impressed for Lincoln-Way West.—
Steve Millar,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
-
The Timberwolves can certainly relate.—
Sam Amick,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
The Lebanese government sincerely wants to take control of the south and disarm and contain Hezbollah.—
Hussein Ibish,
The Atlantic,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Still, the energy around physical media continues to surge in sincerely exciting new ways.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
16 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
The club’s victorious April surely has the attention of a duo with deep pockets.—
Dennis Lin,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Prying him away from the desert would surely take a massive offer, and Diamondbacks boss Mike Hazen likely wouldn’t bite unless Mayer was included in the deal, or if not him then one or more of the club’s top young pitchers.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
26 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
And getting all giddy over some lame light beer that has apple juice poured into to is just plain embarrassing.—
Zach Dean OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
24 Apr. 2026
-
There’s an almost-friendship-ending rift over husbands (Brent Thiessen is Cee Cee’s, a cool-guy theater director; Ben Jacoby is Bertie’s, a rich jerk) that feels deeply dated and, in the context of the women’s tell-each-other-everything friendship, just plain weird.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
23 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
That definitely was not on our agenda for some of our night.—
Pierre LeBrun,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Giveaways were definitely a popular draw to the expo as evidenced by the number of full sponsor bags many patrons carried around.—
Karie Angell Luc,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
And honestly, what would accountability even look like?—
Louis Martinez,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2026
-
But honestly, would anyone really notice if KEIB dropped talk?—
Richard Wagoner,
Daily News,
27 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
Still, momentum is clearly on Philadelphia’s side.—
Dan Santaromita,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
-
What got centered were the perfunctory tasks government defaults to when everyone is stretched thin — checking the legal and regulatory boxes for approval, designing detour protocols, posting the orange signs in the right places and marking the lane closures clearly.—
Andrew Chrismer,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Plainly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plainly. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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