All 14 Uses of

direct
in
In Cold Blood

Kenyon was in my sophomore English class, and I'd directed Nancy in the 'Tom Sawyer' play.
Chpt 1

directed = supervised (been in charge of a performance)

I think it's because he was the most recognizable, the one that looked the most like himself-even though he'd been shot in the face, directly, head-on.
Chpt 1

directly = straight (exactly where stated; used for emphasis)

I don't think that ever before in my life have so many people been so directly responsible for my being so very, very glad.
Chpt 2

directly = closely

Investigating officials admit they can discover no motive for the crime, termed by Logan Sanford, Director of the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, as the most vicious in the history of Kansas.
Chpt 3 *

director = supervisor (person in charge)

standard suffix: The suffix "-or" often converts a verb to a noun that means "a person who." This is the pattern you see in words like actor, editor, and visitor.

"And that's Perry," he said, winking at Perry, who was seated directly behind the driver.
Chpt 3

directly = exactly where stated (used for emphasis)

Neither Perry nor Dick was aware of the police vehicle trailing them as they pulled away from the post office, and with Dick driving and Perry directing, they traveled five blocks north, turned left, then right, drove a quarter mile more, and stopped in front of a dying palm tree and a weather-wrecked sign from which all calligraphy had faded except the word "OOM."
Chpt 3

directing = giving directions

The safe was supposed to be in the wall directly behind the desk, but we couldn't find it.
Chpt 3

directly = close

The Meiers, who had been married more than twenty years, were very much alike: tall people with weight and strength to spare, with wide hands, square and calm and kindly faces-the last being most true of Mrs. Meier, a direct and practical woman who nevertheless seems illuminated by a mystical serenity.
Chpt 4

direct = straightforward (uncomplicated)

"Psychiatry," he added, pleading with the judge quite directly, "has matured rapidly in the past twenty years."
Chpt 4 *

directly = personally (person-to-person)

Judge Tate did not entirely deny the motion; rather, he did exactly all the law demanded by appointing a commission of three Garden City doctors and directing them to pronounce a verdict upon the mental capacities of the prisoners.
Chpt 4

directing = instructing

One of our beds was directly under my mother and father's room.
Chpt 4

directly = straight (in a straight line)

He took a seat directly behind the defendants, and fixed them with a gaze of unique persistence, as though he planned to paint their portraits from memory.
Chpt 4

directly = close

The Reverend Post survived somewhat longer, for he made no direct attempt to compliment the prisoner, but described sympathetically an encounter with him at Lansing.
Chpt 4 *

direct = clear

For the most part, his rages in the, past have been directed at authority figures-father, brother, Army sergeant, state parole officer-and have led to violent assaultive behavior on several occasions.
Chpt 4

directed = focused

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Best Example Sentences
From Other Sources
Grouped by 3 Meanings

Definitions:

(1) (direct as in: directly above; or buy direct)
without anything in between -- whether in time, space, or involvement
(2) (direct as in: gave a direct answer)
straightforward -- often clear, open, or blunt in speech or behavior
(3) (direct as in: direct a question; or direct a film)
to guide, aim, or manage -- such as actions, attention, speech, a project or company
(4) (meaning too rare to warrant focus)
meaning too rare to warrant focus:

Direct can take on many specialized meanings not included in this dictionary.
As an adjective or adverb, direct usually means there is a clear or straight connection with nothing in the way. It can also mean easy to understand, without confusion. For example:
- Direct action – taking quick and clear steps to make something happen
- Direct descendant – someone who comes straight from an ancestor, like a grandchild
- Direct line (in genealogy) – a family connection that goes straight from one generation to the next
- Direct deposit – money that is sent straight into a bank account
- Direct object – in a sentence, the person or thing that receives the action of the verb
- Direct kick – in sports, a kick where the ball can go straight into the goal without touching another player
- Direct cost – a cost that comes straight from making a product or providing a service
- Direct investment – putting money directly into a company or project
- Direct elections – when people vote for leaders without going through an extra step
- Direct current (DC) – a type of electric flow that moves in only one direction
As a verb, most all of the senses of direct involve giving orders or aiming.

Page Numbers by Book Edition

direct in In Cold Blood

direct
in
In Cold Blood