as in brutality
disposition to willfully inflict pain and suffering on others
centuries after he ravaged Europe, Attila the Hun remains notorious for his cruelty
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cruelty
On Wednesday, June 24, authorities announced the arrest of Joshua Clinton on several charges, including murder and cruelty to children, in connection with Jalil's death.
—
Samira Asma-Sadeque,
PEOPLE,
29 June 2026
Now its people should rise up and demand a cessation of cruelty that threatens to paint another stain of shame on the legacy of this great nation.
—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
28 June 2026
The sheriff’s office said in a news release last week that it had been contacted in April about allegations of fraud, animal abuse and animal cruelty at the rescue and that the case had been assigned to the Major Crimes Division.
—
Doha Madani,
NBC news,
28 June 2026
Since then, the Sheriff’s Office has opened a sprawling investigation into allegations of felony animal abuse, animal cruelty, fraud, and conspiracy associated with the animal sanctuary.
—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
26 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for cruelty
Samira Asma-Sadeque,
PEOPLE,
29 June 2026
Now its people should rise up and demand a cessation of cruelty that threatens to paint another stain of shame on the legacy of this great nation.
—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
28 June 2026
The sheriff’s office said in a news release last week that it had been contacted in April about allegations of fraud, animal abuse and animal cruelty at the rescue and that the case had been assigned to the Major Crimes Division.
—
Doha Madani,
NBC news,
28 June 2026
Since then, the Sheriff’s Office has opened a sprawling investigation into allegations of felony animal abuse, animal cruelty, fraud, and conspiracy associated with the animal sanctuary.
—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
26 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for cruelty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cruelty
Noun
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But it’s lost on these boys, whose youth has been ground away by the drug trade’s meaningless brutality.
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There is a weird intimacy to hand-to-hand combat and the brutality of it.
Noun
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The respected 13th-century Spanish rabbi Nachmanides (Ramban) chastises Lot for the atrocity of offering his daughters in place of the angels.
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While younger generations were taught in school about the atrocities of the Holocaust, the book found that family lore continued to sanitize the past with grandparents often painted as heroes, rescuers or victims themselves.
Cite this Entry
“Cruelty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cruelty. Accessed 4 Jul. 2026.
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