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
Gregory Nussen, Deadline, 21 Mar. 2025
The semiconductor space is cutthroat, and technology develops quickly.
—Sarah Bauerle Danzman, Foreign Affairs, 30 Dec. 2022
Claudia Rosenbaum, HollywoodReporter, 4 Apr. 2025
The precocious Sun says he was captivated by the American tycoon’s lessons in cutthroat competition, showmanship and, of course, ego—anathema in a society steeped in the principles of Confucianism and Chinese socialism.
—Chris Dobstaff, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cutthroat
Adjective
But, where Genovese is cutthroat with very little, if any, moral boundaries, Costello is a more moral boss.
—Gregory Nussen, Deadline, 21 Mar. 2025
The semiconductor space is cutthroat, and technology develops quickly.
—Sarah Bauerle Danzman, Foreign Affairs, 30 Dec. 2022
Noun
Early on, Scharf discovered his training as a public defender was surprisingly useful in the cutthroat world of entertainment law.
—Claudia Rosenbaum, HollywoodReporter, 4 Apr. 2025
The precocious Sun says he was captivated by the American tycoon’s lessons in cutthroat competition, showmanship and, of course, ego—anathema in a society steeped in the principles of Confucianism and Chinese socialism.
—Chris Dobstaff, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cutthroat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cutthroat
Adjective
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To his critics, his centralization of power and ruthless purge of opponents put Malaysia on an authoritarian trajectory.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
2 May 2025
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There’s an undercurrent of electricity between her and the ruthless cartel leader (Salma Hayek) using her as a bargaining chip, but Stone is too cowardly to let the hotties smooch, squandering the only energy Lively was able to muster for this potent strain of mess.—
Lizzie Logan,
Vulture,
2 May 2025
Noun
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Mistaken for the world’s deadliest assassin, Ben becomes the perfect decoy for Eden.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
29 Apr. 2025
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Havoc brings the heat, throwing Tom Hardy's stony Walker into a hotbed of gangsters, dirty cops, corrupt elites, and wicked assassins.—
Randall Colburn,
EW.com,
28 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Even children and adolescents express more willingness to shun and punish moral transgressors than people who do something personally obnoxious or offensive but not immoral.—
Jen Cole Wright,
The Conversation,
14 Apr. 2025
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Regardless of what transpired between the two cast members, on or off screen, Aspen was unfairly portrayed as an immoral character.—
Taylor Crumpton,
Essence,
11 Apr. 2025
Noun
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At 13, Dean is even the same age as Adolescence’s middle school murderer.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
2 May 2025
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Joe was able to talk Reynolds into releasing George, but when Reynolds went to raise his gun to Joe, an arriving Chee shot dead the murderer.—
Matt Webb Mitovich,
TVLine,
27 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Rosamund Pike adds her name to the cast list, starring as a diamond seller whose family launders their profits through corrupt back-channels.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
1 May 2025
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Countless cases have shown how these schemes have granted safe haven to corrupt actors from around the world and other suspicious individuals in the EU.—
Cecilia Rodriguez,
Forbes.com,
29 Apr. 2025
Noun
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But with a twist so big — Sarah being the killer of her adulterous husband Adam’s mistress, Kelly Summers, and the one who set him up for the murder while simultaneously defending him tooth and nail in court — where was Rose to go after that?—
Jennifer Maas,
Variety,
29 Apr. 2025
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Contrary to what these media headlines may say, AI is not a job killer.—
Ruchi Kulhari,
Forbes.com,
28 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Before the arrest, some indignant residents took to social media to speculate about a possible motive — alleging without proof that unscrupulous developers or even the city itself may have orchestrated the acts.—
Grace Toohey,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Apr. 2025
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The second suit, brought by the City of Baltimore, charges sportsbooks DraftKings and FanDuel with unscrupulous promotional tactics prodding users toward irresponsible gambling.—
David B. McGarry,
Baltimore Sun,
21 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The notorious Sackler family, opioid pushers responsible for countless cases of addiction and death, can’t seem to settle their legal problems without turning to some kind of unprincipled maneuver.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Feb. 2025
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Objective voters who watched the recent documentary about Lev Parnas, once a Trump ally, should fear a redux of a Cabinet running the government for an angry, unhinged, unprincipled man.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
1 Oct. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Cutthroat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cutthroat. Accessed 10 May. 2025.
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