1
as in hulk
a big clumsy often slow-witted person
they looked like a tribe of Neanderthals compared to the bridegroom's patrician-looking family
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in barbarian
a man with crude manners and habits and outmoded attitudes
made the mistake of dining with some Neanderthal who repeatedly mistook his shirtsleeve for a napkin
Synonyms & Similar Words
variants
or Neandertal
as in rude
not civilized
her boyfriend's Neanderthal tastes and manners were often embarrassing
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of Neanderthal
Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 31 Dec. 2024
Poetry for Neanderthals for $25: Every card has a word, and your seemingly simple task is to get your team to correctly guess it within the time limit by speaking in single syllables only.
—Simon Hill, WIRED, 19 Dec. 2024
In a separate study, researchers tracked signs of Neanderthal in our genetic code over 50,000 years.
—Adithi Ramakrishnan, Los Angeles Times, 13 Dec. 2024
Related article Scientists reveal the face of a Neanderthal who lived 75,000 years ago
However, there is still much scientists don’t know.
—Katie Hunt, CNN, 13 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for Neanderthal 
Noun
But, while this group of people also had Neanderthal ancestry, their population must have died out, because their DNA doesn’t appear to contribute to modern-day genomes.
—Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 31 Dec. 2024
Poetry for Neanderthals for $25: Every card has a word, and your seemingly simple task is to get your team to correctly guess it within the time limit by speaking in single syllables only.
—Simon Hill, WIRED, 19 Dec. 2024
In a separate study, researchers tracked signs of Neanderthal in our genetic code over 50,000 years.
—Adithi Ramakrishnan, Los Angeles Times, 13 Dec. 2024
Related article Scientists reveal the face of a Neanderthal who lived 75,000 years ago
However, there is still much scientists don’t know.
—Katie Hunt, CNN, 13 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for Neanderthal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for Neanderthal
Noun
-
The hulk of metal moved silently through space, high above the blue Earth.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
13 Feb. 2025
-
Having boy hulk Matthew Knies at the net front, to retrieve pucks and be a pain for the defence, is one positive step that’s been working.—
James Mirtle,
The Athletic,
23 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
It was called the Save Women’s Sports Act, conjuring an image of barbarians at the gate.—
Louisa Thomas,
The New Yorker,
19 Jan. 2025
-
By this time, Rome survived numerous attacks from pagan European tribes and the Asian Huns before finally succumbing to Germanic barbarians in 476 C.E..—
Joanne M. Pierce,
The Conversation,
15 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Not wanting to be rude, the plumber welcomed Albert in.—
Kristan Hawkins,
Newsweek,
6 Feb. 2025
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Harry would’ve been grumpy and rude, making brusque jokes about inane gender stereotypes and asking direct, invasive questions about anatomy.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
6 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Similar to Milla’s story on the show, Ainscough was diagnosed with epithelioid sarcoma in 2008 following a biopsy of lumps from her left arm.—
Kelsie Gibson,
People.com,
6 Feb. 2025
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These crab cakes were not full of jumbo lump, but had claw and backfin meat and sold for ten cents.—
Jacques Kelly,
Baltimore Sun,
1 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Many animals that are regularly found in yards and gardens give birth to a large number of babies at once.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
17 Feb. 2025
-
If matching animals is more important for you though, Crystal Palace is nicknamed the Eagles and the team have one as part of their logo.—
Eduardo Tansley,
The Athletic,
17 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The 2023 grand marshal is former Arizona Democratic congresswoman Gabby Giffords, gravely wounded in a savage mass shooting in 2011 that also killed six people.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Dec. 2022
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As savage Arctic cold was getting ready to surge south across North America, vivid imagery based on data from weather models showed us what was going to happen.—
Tom Yulsman,
Discover Magazine,
27 Dec. 2022
Noun
-
Coaching hire winners and losers: In all, seven teams made leadership changes at the top.—
Jim Reineking,
USA TODAY,
18 Feb. 2025
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No more participation trophies for Bill Plaschke! Los Angeles’ lovable loser nailed it by predicting the Eagles’ big win, ending his losing tradition that envied the Benoit Benjamin Clippers of the 1980s!—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Feb. 2025
Noun
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In their first outing, the Croods managed to carve out a niche for themselves that distinguished these cavemen from everybody’s favorite modern Stone Age family.—
James Grebey,
Vulture,
31 Jan. 2025
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Much like the iconic caveman from Hanna-Barbera's The Flintstones, Hollins went barefoot and sported a blue necktie and a short-sleeve, leopard-print loincloth with a jagged hemline.—
Gil Macias,
People.com,
12 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near Neanderthal
Cite this Entry
“Neanderthal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/Neanderthal. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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