as in merciless
having or showing a lack of sympathy or tender feelings
an office supervisor with a ruthless disregard for others' feelings
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Recent Examples of ruthless
Released in 2006, the first The Devil Wears Prada was a rags-to-riches story of a young woman (Hathaway) who headed for the big city to be a serious journalist, only to become the assistant of a ruthless and legendary editor (Streep).
—
Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 29 Apr. 2026
His is a method of ruthless practicality, of taking apart mathematics piece by piece and asking what is necessary.
—Quanta Magazine, 29 Apr. 2026
With ruthless competitors who will stop at nothing to dethrone and destroy them, the Whitlocks are a blue-collar dynasty at the edge of extinction – and the old king is fighting to hold onto the crown.
—Peter White, Deadline, 29 Apr. 2026
For hobbyists who love filling every inch of a bed, thinning seedlings can feel ruthless.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ruthless
Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 29 Apr. 2026
His is a method of ruthless practicality, of taking apart mathematics piece by piece and asking what is necessary.
—Quanta Magazine, 29 Apr. 2026
With ruthless competitors who will stop at nothing to dethrone and destroy them, the Whitlocks are a blue-collar dynasty at the edge of extinction – and the old king is fighting to hold onto the crown.
—Peter White, Deadline, 29 Apr. 2026
For hobbyists who love filling every inch of a bed, thinning seedlings can feel ruthless.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ruthless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruthless
Adjective
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Development in the Dotte 🪠Fish or human feces often wash up in KCK homes during those merciless spring rains.—
Sofi Zeman,
Kansas City Star,
30 Apr. 2026
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Fleeing into the desert with her father, she is hunted by a merciless army and forced to trust a legendary bandit (Mackie) with secrets of his own.—
Mark Meszoros,
Twin Cities,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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In a vast stony tract of desert a three-hour drive south of Cairo, tucked between jagged black mountains and the glittering Gulf of Suez, a group of Chinese engineers is quietly rewiring Egypt’s energy strategy.—
Tim McDonnell,
semafor.com,
14 Apr. 2026
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Hikers can traverse the stony beds of Cliffy Creek and snap photos of the park's four iconic waterfalls.—
Joie Probst,
Midwest Living,
10 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ruthless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruthless. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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