OPENLY Synonyms: 57 Similar and Opposite Words

openly

adverb

Definition of openly

as in freely

in a direct and honest way; without hiding feelings or opinions Please feel free to express your opinions openly. The governor has been openly critical of the President.

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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 openly These provisions keep employers and plan sponsors from openly discussing their contract terms, which Cuban said blocks them from comparing fees and negotiating better deals. — Emma Witman, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026 Worse, while communist parties during the Cold War denied the crimes of the Soviet regime, some of today’s neo-Leninists openly defend them. — Literary Hub, 21 Oct. 2026 Even doctors openly debated in the 1960s whether the disease was serious enough to warrant mass vaccination. — Nicholas Florko, STAT, 21 Oct. 2026 But Prime Minister Anthony Albanese urged lawmakers to continue to engage openly with the public despite worsening animosity within the community. — Rod McGuirk, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026 After undergoing a lengthy IVF journey in Seoul, Jung, who was born in South Korea but grew up in the US, now openly shares her experience on social media and offers consultations to women seeking reproductive care, especially overseas. — Jessica Poitevien, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Oct. 2026 Sampaio proudly noted the performance is the first NFL halftime show headlined by two openly LGBTQ+ men. — Raymond Braun, Vogue, 20 Oct. 2026 The last time father and son Gardiner saw each other was aboard Mitt’s whale-watching vessel, where Mitt’s drinking and subsequent erratic behavior led Jay to openly reject the waterman way of life his father had instilled in him since birth. — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 20 Oct. 2026 Karine Jean-Pierre in 2022 made history as the first Black press secretary in White House as well as the first openly gay person in the role. — Chandelis Duster, NPR, 19 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for openly

Adverb

Every team’s games will stream locally, with many franchises also airing contests on freely available over-the-air broadcast stations.

— Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 23 Oct. 2026
The business terms, which were originally supposed to go into effect on October 30th, appeared to give Meta permission to freely scrape the new sites that use its platforms, while using the material for AI training.

— Emma Roth, The Verge, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of freely

Adverb

And incumbents can sincerely believe important work remains unfinished.

— Nancy Forster-Holt, The Conversation, 6 Oct. 2026
In a scene at the beginning of Episode 8, actor Siena Agudong, who plays Sue, expresses Flanagan’s belief that sincerely openhearted people like Carrie are met with rejection and seen as alien in a world where cynicism is our default mode.

— Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026