as in ruthless
not guided by or showing a concern for what is right
cutthroat business practices intended to drive competitors out of business
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cutthroat
Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 22 Dec. 2025
Chinese solar businesses hailed progress in combating cutthroat competition that has sent prices for panels plummeting, but which has also left several companies on the brink of collapse.
—Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 19 Dec. 2025
Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 15 Dec. 2025
Adding to the mix of problems, deflation has clouded the economy for much of the year, driven by overcapacity and cutthroat price wars, particularly in sectors such as electric vehicles, e-commerce and construction materials.
—John Liu, CNN Money, 11 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cutthroat
Adjective
In an industry notorious for its cutthroat competition and nepotistic tendencies, landing a job at just one of these fashion powerhouses would be the realization of a lifelong dream for many.
—Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 22 Dec. 2025
Chinese solar businesses hailed progress in combating cutthroat competition that has sent prices for panels plummeting, but which has also left several companies on the brink of collapse.
—Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 19 Dec. 2025
Noun
Park’s film tells the story of a manager laid off from his job who uses, uh, a less-than-gentle approach when he’s faced with competition in a cutthroat (literally) job market.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 15 Dec. 2025
Adding to the mix of problems, deflation has clouded the economy for much of the year, driven by overcapacity and cutthroat price wars, particularly in sectors such as electric vehicles, e-commerce and construction materials.
—John Liu, CNN Money, 11 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cutthroat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cutthroat
Adjective
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But he's drawn into a deadly Colombian drama involving a new ruthless arms dealer posing as a humanitarian, Teddy Dos Santos (Diego Calva), and Roxana (Camila Morrone), an American businesswoman.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
11 Jan. 2026
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As Iranians know well from 1979, ruthless contests tend to define revolutions.—
Karim Sadjadpour,
The Atlantic,
10 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Though detectives conclude that assassin cult members Ash (Jon Pointing) and Dee Dee (Maeve Courtier-Lilley) were the ones who killed Aaron, Paige revealed that the real killer was Ingrid.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
5 Jan. 2026
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Maduro is being held in the same federal jail in Brooklyn as accused assassin Luigi Mangione.—
Michael Ruiz , Maria Paronich , Brendan McDonald,
FOXNews.com,
5 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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In addition to being immoral, CFA’s support for BDS likely violates state law, AB 2844, which prohibits California from contracting with entities that engage in discrimination, including against Jews or Israelis.—
Mark Pinkert,
Oc Register,
23 Dec. 2025
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The film follows the deliciously immoral, widowed Lady Susan Vernon (Kate Beckinsale), who maneuvers, deceives and seduces her way through London and across her relatives' country estates in an effort to find a wealthy husband for herself and her daughter, Frederica (Morfydd Clark).—
Andrea Wurzburger,
PEOPLE,
29 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The real horror is that the murderers are so thoroughly human.—
Patrick Radden Keefe,
New Yorker,
11 Jan. 2026
-
Saying this officer is a murderer is dangerous.—
NBC news,
NBC news,
11 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Which makes Shelley Joseph today’s poster gal for the corrupt double standards in the Massachusetts legal system.—
Howie Carr,
Boston Herald,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Trump is running the most brazenly corrupt administration in modern history.—
Mark Z. Barabak,
Mercury News,
8 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Georgina Campbell and Joe Keery star as employees of a self-storage facility on top of a former military base, from whence a killer fungus emerges one night.—
Emily Temple,
Literary Hub,
12 Jan. 2026
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That 15-0 third quarter run was a killer.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
12 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Tourists seeking to visit the Statue of Liberty were defrauded daily by unscrupulous ticket-hawkers pitching water tours departing miles away that charge high prices and can’t land on Liberty Island.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
7 Jan. 2026
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As thousands gathered to wait overnight in freezing temperatures to purchase tickets for Zeppelin’s upcoming concert, a few unscrupulous fans broke into the seating area of the arena and caused thousands of dollars of damage.—
Lorenzino Estrada,
AZCentral.com,
6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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In the past, that’s opened small businesses to frivolous lawsuits filed by unprincipled lawyers that file massive lawsuits and offer quick settlements.—
Erica Goldstein,
Boston Herald,
9 Sep. 2025
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Rule by ‘ambitious, and unprincipled men’ Partisanship is the primary problem for the American republic, according to Washington.—
Robert A. Strong,
The Conversation,
8 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cutthroat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cutthroat. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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