chiefly US
: having a fierce, relentless, or aggressive character
a take-no-prisoners attitude
… McGraw is actually famous for his blunt, take-no-prisoners style of therapy.—
Marc Peyser
Marc Peyser… the kind of scorched-earth, take-no-prisoners writing style she had become notorious for.—Kirsten Fleming
Kirsten FlemingHe is one of a kind—a maverick with a take-no-prisoners approach to the wine business.—Wine Spectator
Wine SpectatorThe long-distance marketers are now digging in for a take-no-prisoners strategy to keep a tight grip on their $70 billion industry …—Kate Fitzgerald
Kate Fitzgeraldtake no prisoners
2 of 2idiomatic phrase
: to be aggressively harsh, tough, or relentless (as in pursuing a goal, exploiting an advantage, or expressing criticism)
a politician who takes no prisoners
His record as a tough, capable administrator somehow manages to satisfy both Pentagon hard-liners and State Department moderates. "He takes no prisoners," says a U.S. official …—Daniel Eisenberg
Daniel EisenbergThat show featured Barbara Frum, who was simply one of the most important, most fearless TV journalists this country has ever seen. … She took no prisoners in those interviews.—John Cairns
John CairnsLike their private sector counterparts, … [they] have been known to take no prisoners when competing for contracts.—Willie Schatz
Willie SchatzMr. Smith takes no prisoners as he lambastes a policy he believes was misguided and mistaken from the beginning.—Walter Russell Mead
Walter Russell Mead
Synonyms
Adjective
- affectless
- callous
- case-hardened
- cold-blooded
- compassionless
- desensitized
- hard
- hard-boiled
- hard-hearted
- heartless
- indurate
- inhuman
- inhumane
- insensate
- insensitive
- ironhearted
- merciless
- obdurate
- pachydermatous
- pitiless
- remorseless
- ruthless
- slash-and-burn
- soulless
- stony
- stoney
- stonyhearted
- thick-skinned
- uncharitable
- unfeeling
- unmerciful
- unsparing
- unsympathetic
Examples of take-no-prisoners in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the WebLos Angeles Times, 18 Nov. 2023
Trending So no, Nyad isn’t exactly slathering, pandering, take-no-prisoners Oscar bait.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 2 Nov. 2023
Flannery’s infirmity, unconventional looks and take-no-prisoners nonconformity find expression in these women’s daughters.
—Sheri Linden, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Sep. 2023
Shakti’s exhilarating, take-no-prisoners approach to music has never wavered since the band’s inception 50 years ago, regardless of who is in the lineup.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Aug. 2023
Pleasantly chewy, the crullers made lovely sponges for the take-no-prisoners black pepper sauce, the taste equivalent of a bugle blast.
—Tom Sietsema, Washington Post, 18 July 2023
Hidden Hand applies the same take-no-prisoners approach as Hamilton’s 2018 book, Silent Invasion: China’s Influence in Australia.
—Andrew J. Nathan, Foreign Affairs, 10 Dec. 2020
Nationally, the governor made a name for himself as an unabashed Republican critic of Trump, often harping on the latter's take-no-prisoners political style.
—Ryan King, Washington Examiner, 26 Apr. 2023
Country powerhouse Chapel Hart, featuring sisters Danica and Devynn Hart, and first cousin Trea Swindle, just released an upbeat, take-no-prisoners tune from their upcoming album Glory Days.
—Terri Robertson, Country Living, 7 Apr. 2023
Elizabeth Kolbert, The New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2021
The Bengals’ defense is beaten up and the Bills’ offense will take no prisoners.
—Jeremy Cluff, The Arizona Republic, 16 Jan. 2023
Al-Anon members take no prisoners.
—Annie Lane, oregonlive, 10 Jan. 2023
In other words, entrepreneurs are aggressive, outgoing risk-takers who take no prisoners.
—Caroline Castrillon, Forbes, 2 Jan. 2022
See More
Adjective
Not as entertaining nor as exciting as a take-no-prisoners offensive assault but sometimes necessary to win the game.
—Los Angeles Times, 18 Nov. 2023
Trending So no, Nyad isn’t exactly slathering, pandering, take-no-prisoners Oscar bait.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 2 Nov. 2023
Flannery’s infirmity, unconventional looks and take-no-prisoners nonconformity find expression in these women’s daughters.
—Sheri Linden, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Sep. 2023
Shakti’s exhilarating, take-no-prisoners approach to music has never wavered since the band’s inception 50 years ago, regardless of who is in the lineup.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Aug. 2023
Pleasantly chewy, the crullers made lovely sponges for the take-no-prisoners black pepper sauce, the taste equivalent of a bugle blast.
—Tom Sietsema, Washington Post, 18 July 2023
Hidden Hand applies the same take-no-prisoners approach as Hamilton’s 2018 book, Silent Invasion: China’s Influence in Australia.
—Andrew J. Nathan, Foreign Affairs, 10 Dec. 2020
Nationally, the governor made a name for himself as an unabashed Republican critic of Trump, often harping on the latter's take-no-prisoners political style.
—Ryan King, Washington Examiner, 26 Apr. 2023
Country powerhouse Chapel Hart, featuring sisters Danica and Devynn Hart, and first cousin Trea Swindle, just released an upbeat, take-no-prisoners tune from their upcoming album Glory Days.
—Terri Robertson, Country Living, 7 Apr. 2023
Idiomatic phrase
John’s synagogue of Satan came to stand for all the Arians and other heretics who disagreed with Athanasius, and John’s take-no-prisoners tone was congenial to a bishop who intended to take no prisoners.
—Elizabeth Kolbert, The New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2021
The Bengals’ defense is beaten up and the Bills’ offense will take no prisoners.
—Jeremy Cluff, The Arizona Republic, 16 Jan. 2023
Al-Anon members take no prisoners.
—Annie Lane, oregonlive, 10 Jan. 2023
In other words, entrepreneurs are aggressive, outgoing risk-takers who take no prisoners.
—Caroline Castrillon, Forbes, 2 Jan. 2022
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'take-no-prisoners.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Dictionary Entries Near take-no-prisoners
Cite this Entry
“Take-no-prisoners.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/take-no-prisoners. Accessed 8 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
take-no-prisoners
adjective
: having a fierce, relentless, or merciless character
take-no-prisoners politics
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