frankly

adverb

frank·​ly ˈfraŋ-klē How to pronounce frankly (audio)
Synonyms of franklynext
1
: in a frank manner
spoke frankly
2
: in truth : indeed
Frankly, I don't know.

Synonyms of frankly

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Examples of frankly in a Sentence

You can speak frankly to us. frankly, I'd rather stay at home than go to the movies tonight
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Bugs Bunny being in the real world is frankly not as baffling as Michael Jordan’s detour into minor-league baseball. — James Grebey, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026 My job is to give people joy and entertain them and take them away from, frankly, at the moment, some of the misery of life, where they can get lost in the live gig for two hours. — Katie Bain, Billboard, 27 Aug. 2026 Quite frankly, the understanding that law was always a work in progress. — Elise Devlin, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026 What about how police agencies understand criminality and risk can only be put on the table and frankly stated behind closed doors? — Literary Hub, 24 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for frankly

Word History

First Known Use

1537, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of frankly was in 1537

Rhymes for frankly

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Browse Nearby Words

Franklin tree
frankly
frankmarriage
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Cite this Entry

“Frankly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/frankly. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

frankly

adverb
frank·​ly ˈfraŋ-klē How to pronounce frankly (audio)
1
: in a frank manner
you can speak frankly to us
2
: to tell the truth
frankly, I don't think it's wise
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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