1
as in simple
free from all additions or embellishment
I like my hamburgers plain, with no ketchup or relish just give us the plain facts and none of your snide comments
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in pure
free from added matter
I'd prefer my pasta plain, not flavored with tomato or spinach or anything else
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in outspoken
free in expressing one's true feelings and opinions
their piano teacher is honest and plain, if not always tactful
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4
as in straightforward
going straight to the point clearly and firmly
a plain report on the current situation
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5
as in obvious
not subject to misinterpretation or more than one interpretation
let me make my meaning plain
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in openly
in an honest and direct manner
told her plain that he loved her
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1
as in prairie
a broad area of level or rolling treeless country
the first settlers in that area lived on the vast plains in lonely log cabins
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2
as in expanse
a wide space or area
the vast plains of snow-covered earth that seemed to stretch endlessly
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of plain
Andrew F. Krepinevich, Foreign Affairs, 2 Apr. 2025
However, plain baking soda may be harsh for everyday use and could cause discomfort in people with sensitive teeth or mouths.3
Using a toothpaste that includes baking soda as an ingredient may be safer and more pleasant for daily use.
—Cristina Mutchler, Health, 27 Mar. 2025
Elissa Kelly, Forbes.com, 2 Apr. 2025
Once upon a time, owning a Tesla signaled that a driver was tech-savvy, eco-conscious, or just plain rich.
—Camila Domonoske, NPR, 13 Mar. 2025
Jamie Carter, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025
Onscreen, Juan Preciado, one of the protagonists, stood on a vast desert plain.
—Stephania Taladrid, The New Yorker, 27 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for plain
Adjective
As a review of the office’s extraordinary history makes plain, this decision needs to be urgently revisited.
—Andrew F. Krepinevich, Foreign Affairs, 2 Apr. 2025
However, plain baking soda may be harsh for everyday use and could cause discomfort in people with sensitive teeth or mouths.3
Using a toothpaste that includes baking soda as an ingredient may be safer and more pleasant for daily use.
—Cristina Mutchler, Health, 27 Mar. 2025
Adverb
These actions and judgments, considered misguided or plain wrong, embody one common thing: Mistakes can be avoided.
—Elissa Kelly, Forbes.com, 2 Apr. 2025
Once upon a time, owning a Tesla signaled that a driver was tech-savvy, eco-conscious, or just plain rich.
—Camila Domonoske, NPR, 13 Mar. 2025
Noun
Its images of Pluto’s nitrogen-ice plains, mountain ranges, dunes and ice volcanoes showed the dwarf planet as a living world.
—Jamie Carter, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025
Onscreen, Juan Preciado, one of the protagonists, stood on a vast desert plain.
—Stephania Taladrid, The New Yorker, 27 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for plain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plain
Adjective
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That simplicity feels so apt for this show, There's enough here: The production is simple and sweet, while Jonas and Warren exude a certain magnetism.—
Shania Russell,
EW.com,
7 Apr. 2025
-
Uncharacteristically for the times, a sincere and simple sentence in the active voice.—
David Bezmozgis,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Far too many left to get it on three without pure luck.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
6 Apr. 2025
-
To suggest that the cartels might import coca leaves to extract cocaine makes about as much sense as suggesting that someone would import Dom Perignon to secure by chemical processing pure extracts of ethyl alcohol.—
Wade Davis,
Rolling Stone,
6 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The outspoken mother, who has clashed with Rock in the past, quickly went on to reiterate her desire for Blueface to enter a relationship with rap star Megan Thee Stallion, a hope that she’s expressed on previous occasions.—
Preezy Brown,
VIBE.com,
10 Apr. 2025
-
But several of the most outspoken opponents of the Senate resolution said they either weren't invited to the meeting or declined to attend.—
Barbara Sprunt,
NPR,
8 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The economic case for implementing those other policies is more straightforward than the case for tariffs.—
Alden Abbott,
Forbes.com,
8 Apr. 2025
-
Those are the more straightforward solutions, according to Dr. Teitelbaum, but more extreme asymmetry can require performing completely different procedures on each side, usually a custom combination of augmentation, breast lift, breast lift with fat transfer, and/or reduction.—
Nicola Dall'Asen,
Allure,
7 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Entertainment Fans of the show on social media seem to be missing a lot of crucial character development, and there’s an obvious explanation why.—
Kathleen Walsh,
Glamour,
10 Apr. 2025
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In its wildest moments, Coogler’s film seems like a collision of Lovecraft Country with True Blood, though more obvious comparisons will likely be drawn to From Dusk Till Dawn.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Apr. 2025
Noun
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From the prairie of Abilene, Texas, Crusoe plans to launch a hyperscale data center campus with 206 megawatts of capacity that’s expected to scale to 1.2 gigawatts by mid-2026.—
MacKenzie Sigalos,
CNBC,
25 Mar. 2025
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These and other prairie plants provide an ideal habitat for hundreds of pollinators and insect species including bunchgrass skippers and dreamy dusky wing butterflies.—
Susan DeGrane,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Because nothing makes a space look larger than an expanse of glass, Jon and Allison blew out the wall that formerly held two closets.—
Amy Panos,
Better Homes & Gardens,
3 Apr. 2025
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Couldn’t be me; there’s liberation in being made small by indifferent expanses.—
Tessa Solomon,
ARTnews.com,
28 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The album is raw, honest, and deeply personal—a sonic letter to women and their stories, both told and untold.—
Nour Ezzedine,
Billboard,
10 Apr. 2025
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This accountability between sustainability initiatives and resilience among uncertainty is sparking more honest conversations, leading to more realistic goal setting and, ultimately, more meaningful progress.—
Sarah Jones,
Sourcing Journal,
10 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Plain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plain. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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