1
as in direct
going straight to the point clearly and firmly
a straightforward account of the football game with no digressions or personal comments
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in linear
free from irregularities or digressions in course
the missile continued on its straightforward path toward the enemy's command post
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in honest
free in expressing one's true feelings and opinions
I want you to be straightforward with me and tell me if this dress looks awful
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in obvious
not subject to misinterpretation or more than one interpretation
the distinction between the two types of offenses is pretty straightforward
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
variants
also straightforwards
as in straight
in an honest and direct manner
she finally told him straightforward that she wasn't interested in a date
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 straightforward
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 23 Oct. 2025
Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli did indeed sign a prenup when they got married, according to TMZ, but that doesn’t mean the divorce is going to be straightforward.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 23 Oct. 2025
Audrey Bruno, SELF, 14 Oct. 2024
While the concept of divestment from Israel appears straightforward—selling off shares of companies with ties to the country—its practical implications are far more complex.
—Solcyré Burga, TIME, 2 May 2024
See All Example Sentences for straightforward
Adjective
There is the more straightforward version of that question, which would provide viewers with a clear idea of where their sympathies should lie.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 23 Oct. 2025
Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli did indeed sign a prenup when they got married, according to TMZ, but that doesn’t mean the divorce is going to be straightforward.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 23 Oct. 2025
Adverb
Despite seeming straightforward, microwaves aren’t standardized, so finding your machine’s power settings in the first place can be confusing, Chen says.
—Audrey Bruno, SELF, 14 Oct. 2024
While the concept of divestment from Israel appears straightforward—selling off shares of companies with ties to the country—its practical implications are far more complex.
—Solcyré Burga, TIME, 2 May 2024
See All Example Sentences for straightforward
Recent Examples of Synonyms for straightforward
Adjective
-
All statements reflect our direct experience and verified documentation.—
Raechal Shewfelt,
Entertainment Weekly,
24 Oct. 2025
-
Get up to 35% off sitewide right now on direct-to-consumer furniture and home decor brand Burrow, maker of one of our best couches of 2022, the super modular Arch Nomad model.—
Audrey Lee,
Architectural Digest,
23 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
In stark contrast to CNN+ or the Max programming, All Access delivers 16 hours of the same live, linear feed of CNN paid watched by pay-TV subscribers.—
Dade Hayes,
Deadline,
28 Oct. 2025
-
The growing divide doesn’t separate streaming and linear—in fact, those two distribution approaches increasingly mirror each other.—
Jacob Feldman,
Sportico.com,
27 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
When his father’s milestone birthday arrived, the teen saw an opportunity to be brutally honest.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
27 Oct. 2025
-
Other marketing, the kind of stuff that people who would need to seek out (like, oh, big fans of Bruce) is more honest, like this featurette all about Cooper’s approach to this specific time in The Boss’ life and career.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
26 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
With its investments in AI infrastructure and obvious strengths on the power front, this is a country that is building out data centers and positioning itself as a hub for AI, entertainment, sports, finance, high-tech manufacturing and more.—
Diane Brady,
Fortune,
27 Oct. 2025
-
The analyst pointed to Azure, Microsoft's cloud computing platform, as an obvious artificial intelligence beneficiary.—
Lisa Kailai Han,
CNBC,
27 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
Lift your left arm straight up toward the ceiling.—
Mallory Creveling,
Health,
22 Oct. 2025
-
These jeans are fashionable and comfortable enough to take me from the airport terminal straight to the office.—
Chaise Sanders,
Travel + Leisure,
22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The promise of artificial intelligence is that the desktop will disappear entirely and users will only interact with a chatbot or a voice that will carry out their bidding through plain language alone, morphing the entire computer into an anthropomorphized character.—
Kyle Chayka,
New Yorker,
22 Oct. 2025
-
It can be enjoyed plain, sweetened, or with a squeeze of lemon.—
Jillian Kubala,
Health,
22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
In her later years, she became known as an outspoken activist for animal rights and for voicing strong, controversial opinions — such as denouncing the #MeToo movement in 2018.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
23 Oct. 2025
-
As Hollywood has grown more outspoken in recent months about the situation in the Middle East, the challenges of convincing its distributors — the lifelines that can take movies from obscurity to national recognition — remain.—
Rebecca Keegan,
NBC news,
23 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
In March, a Turkish expat in Montevideo, Uruguay, spotted that unmistakable baby face recklessly driving a brand-new white Ferrari and caught him on a cell phone video.—
Moisés Naím,
Literary Hub,
27 Oct. 2025
-
Closing these gaps — by proving cold chain integrity and making preparation steps unmistakable — is key to preventing devastating safety breakdowns and the category-wide PR fallout that can follow a single recall.—
Darin Detwiler,
Fortune,
21 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Straightforward.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/straightforward. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share