as in ruthless
not guided by or showing a concern for what is right
cutthroat business practices intended to drive competitors out of business
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in assassin
a person who kills another person
while traveling the ancient Silk Road, traders were constant prey to cutthroats and thieves
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cutthroat
Renee Dudley, ProPublica, 18 Mar. 2026
On the 536th Sporticast episode, hosts Scott Soshnick and Eben Novy-Williams speak with Brad D’Arco, a prep school admissions consultant, about the cutthroat world of athletics recruiting at prep schools.
—Scott Soshnick, Sportico.com, 17 Mar. 2026
Meg Walters, Glamour, 2 Mar. 2026
She’s played the quiet game and the aggressive game; she’s been a cutthroat Black Widow and a nurturing Mama Bear; she’s made big moves that backfired, and she’s been eliminated with no votes against her.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 25 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cutthroat
Adjective
Rogers had ushered the Justice Department into the cloud, and Microsoft had gained a significant foothold in the cutthroat market for the federal government’s cloud computing business.
—Renee Dudley, ProPublica, 18 Mar. 2026
On the 536th Sporticast episode, hosts Scott Soshnick and Eben Novy-Williams speak with Brad D’Arco, a prep school admissions consultant, about the cutthroat world of athletics recruiting at prep schools.
—Scott Soshnick, Sportico.com, 17 Mar. 2026
Noun
After all, the end of season 3 saw the downfall of Pierpoint & Co., the fictional bank that our cast of cutthroat finance mavericks called home.
—Meg Walters, Glamour, 2 Mar. 2026
She’s played the quiet game and the aggressive game; she’s been a cutthroat Black Widow and a nurturing Mama Bear; she’s made big moves that backfired, and she’s been eliminated with no votes against her.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 25 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cutthroat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cutthroat
Adjective
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Others think Davie’s ruthless headcount reductions led to a brain drain, which in turn precipitated editorial errors that ultimately led to his resignation.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Typewriters, stationery, fine-art museums, the quintessential impressionist painter—these are all associated with taste, beauty, and craft, as well as with intentionality and care, the opposite of the ruthless technological efficiency that repels many from generative AI.—
Matteo Wong,
The Atlantic,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Lillian Cross, a doctor’s wife, ended up standing near the would-be assassin.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
27 Mar. 2026
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She’s also consumed by vengeful rage, much of it directed at the unstable assassin Bullseye (Wilson Bethel).—
Bob Strauss,
Houston Chronicle,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The Michigan State Police said Robert Wilson, 44, of Gaylord, was arrested on March 25 and lodged at the Otsego County Jail on one charge each of accosting a minor for immoral purposes and using a computer to commit a crime.—
Paula Wethington,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
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When the status quo is fundamentally evil and dysfunctional, then Trimming is immoral.—
David Brooks,
The Atlantic,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The meeting ended—the first where the Young Lords and community people had done a fine job of exposing the real criminals and murderers in the streets of our communities.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Whether or not Carol is a murderer or something else.—
Andy Andersen,
Vulture,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Smuggling — sometimes by rope, sometimes with the help of corrupt jail guards — has long been a problem at the troubled federal jail, which has been plagued by violence, horrific conditions and severe staffing shortages for years.—
John Annese,
New York Daily News,
29 Mar. 2026
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No corrupt leader enriching himself and the Epstein class buddies.—
Diego Parrado,
Vanity Fair,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Sources said the man was arguing with his killer when the gunman pulled out a weapon and fired two shots.—
Kerry Burke,
New York Daily News,
3 Apr. 2026
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The cast’s press tour looks have been killer, with Meryl Streep’s earning a groundbreaking (wink, wink) rating from me.—
Eva Thomas,
InStyle,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Supporters hope that the bill, which is similar to ordinances in Denver, Fort Collins, Aurora, and other local jurisdictions, will prevent the sale of puppies bred by unscrupulous puppy mills where dogs and cats are confined in tiny cages bearing one litter after another.—
Krista Kafer,
Denver Post,
27 Mar. 2026
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In the 1995 film, Carrey’s pet detective character hides inside a fake rhinocerous to spy on unscrupulous types in a safari setting.—
Dewayne Bevil,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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How pathetically far this blithering, unprincipled piece of trash has gone to endanger other lives, to expressly distract and deflect from his own wicked deeds, and to further benefit his grifting family’s larcenously enlarged bounties.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
8 Mar. 2026
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In every era a certain kind of unprincipled demagogue driven by an insatiable need for attention and a sense of what will capture the public’s imagination rises to the fore.—
Mark Lilla,
The New York Review of Books,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cutthroat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cutthroat. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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