UP-FRONT Synonyms: 82 Similar and Opposite Words

up-front

adjective

ˌəp-ˈfrənt

Definition of up-front

as in outspoken

free in expressing one's true feelings and opinions some hurt feelings could have been spared if he'd been more up-front about whom he was inviting to the party

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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 up-front Then there is the retrieval camp, which finds up-front modeling too slow and bets on the model instead. — Michael Leone, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026 Technology faces multiple barriers V2G projects face hurdles including up-front costs and a lack of universal V2G technology. — Lisa Baertlein, USA Today, 6 July 2026 But lenders typically charge much higher rates in exchange for lower up-front origination fees. — Terry Savage, Chicago Tribune, 25 June 2026 Moving into a new apartment can require putting down a lot of money up-front. — Becca Stanek, TheWeek, 22 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for up-front

Recent Examples of Synonyms for up-front

Adjective

Hong Kong’s position as a once-outspoken corner of China has been upended in recent years by a national security crackdown following huge and often violent democracy protests that convulsed the city in 2019.

— Chris Lau, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
Wahab's victory marks another win for the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, which is marked by candidates outspoken against Israel.

— Joey Garrison, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of outspoken

Adjective

Attracting and training game officials, to be honest, isn’t the job of the CIF office but of the various regional officials associations that assign them.

— Jim Alexander, Oc Register, 22 Aug. 2026
Set in 2009, the film follows two TV reporters forced into a dirty election campaign for a pro-Russian candidate who struggle to stay honest with their work and the people.

— Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of honest

Adjective

In the interview, Rubio appeared relaxed, candid and funny – very different from his usual public appearances.

— Nicole Russell, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2026
Ford, even more than Antonioni, renders characters’ social context both intellectually and dramatically explicit by way of extensive, florid, candid, confrontational dialogue.

— Richard Brody, New Yorker, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of candid

Adjective

Panettiere similarly tackled the issue of mental health with frank discussions about her own struggles with substance abuse and postpartum depression.

— Edward Segarra, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2026
Pierre and Jagannathan’s scenes have a charge enhanced by their characters’ age gap and frank conversations about navigating the overwhelmingly white Rushville.

— Alison Herman, Variety, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of frank

Adjective

That may still be the case in the coming weeks, but the second episode of HBO’s Lanterns makes for a fairly solid (if simple and straightforward) follow-up with some wildly entertaining moments.

— Siddhant Adlakha, Vulture, 24 Aug. 2026
Without more straightforward approaches from vendors, such as easily comprehensible privacy policies and avoiding inappropriate ads, monitors are dangerously encroaching into smart-TV-like territory.

— Scharon Harding, ArsTechnica, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of straightforward

Adjective

Last week, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution published an exclusive first look at the forthcoming second location of longtime Buckhead staple Hal’s The Steakhouse, which will open next year in the Patterson House at Spring Quarter.

— Henri Hollis, AJC.com, 22 Aug. 2026
Actor Brad Pitt has been tapped as an executive producer of a forthcoming film about the work of Swiss architect Peter Zumthor, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

— News Desk, Artforum, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of forthcoming

Adjective

Unfortunately, not all DSA members and sympathizers are as forthright about their intentions as Romer.

— Chris Roemer, Baltimore Sun, 6 Aug. 2026
Lorde’s and Parker’s letters are forthright and funny from the start, but the other writers are reticent and polite at first.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 July 2026

Definition of forthright

Browse Nearby Words

upends

up-front

upgrade

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“Up-front.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/up-front. Accessed 25 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of up-front

adjective

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