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
Matt Barrows, The Athletic, 6 Aug. 2024
But, where Genovese is cutthroat with very little, if any, moral boundaries, Costello is a more moral boss.
—Gregory Nussen, Deadline, 21 Mar. 2025
Graham Averill, Outside Online, 16 Apr. 2025
Like Hill, Norris is self-conscious, perhaps too much so for a cutthroat and competitive sport like F1, where confidence is so important.
—ArsTechnica, 14 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cutthroat
Adjective
Rookies, most of whom consistently dominated their competition at lower levels of play, must also acclimate to the more cutthroat world of the NFL.
—Matt Barrows, The Athletic, 6 Aug. 2024
But, where Genovese is cutthroat with very little, if any, moral boundaries, Costello is a more moral boss.
—Gregory Nussen, Deadline, 21 Mar. 2025
Noun
The eight-mile out and back passes through meadows packed with wildflowers before delivering you to a trio of high-alpine lakes that are known to house rainbow, cutthroat, and brook trout.
—Graham Averill, Outside Online, 16 Apr. 2025
Like Hill, Norris is self-conscious, perhaps too much so for a cutthroat and competitive sport like F1, where confidence is so important.
—ArsTechnica, 14 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cutthroat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cutthroat
Adjective
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Wes Anderson is talking about a surreal moment that occurs early in his latest film, The Phoenician Scheme, in which the protagonist, the ruthless international tycoon Zsa-Zsa Korda (Benicio del Toro), experiences a vision of the afterlife.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
18 May 2025
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The exception nearly arrives in the closing minutes during a high-stakes scene that had the potential to transform the whole film into a ruthless satire.—
Madison Bloom,
Pitchfork,
16 May 2025
Noun
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King Shrewd secretly trains young Fitz as an assassin, harnessing his ancestral magic.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
25 May 2025
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Those were the final words uttered by Emperor Uriel Septum—played by none other than Star Trek's Patrick Stewart—before an assassin leaped out of the shadows to cut him down.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
22 May 2025
Adjective
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Researchers also noted the chatbot engaging in other potentially disturbing—though not necessarily immoral—behavior.—
Will McCurdy,
PC Magazine,
24 May 2025
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Suggesting that being out of work is immoral, as opposed to the conditions that contribute to people’s ability to work and live, might be a more appropriate source of anxiety.—
Lauren Coulman,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2025
Noun
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Torque is described as a true monster, a talented and elusive hijacker and murderer who faked his own death a decade prior.—
Randall Colburn,
EW.com,
17 May 2025
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Eight of the escapees, including a murderer and a man charged with murder, remain on the lam after the breakout, which the sheriff says may have been aided by members within her department.—
Jack Brook,
Los Angeles Times,
17 May 2025
Adjective
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In fact, Evans’ plotline as the corrupt Reverend Drew essentially runs parallel to Qualley’s and the lack of intersection is a curious oversight.—
Esther Zuckerman,
IndieWire,
23 May 2025
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According to the minister, high-ranking criminals are able to use their illicit earnings to corrupt officials, and some are able to continue to run their operations from inside prison..—
Jack Guy,
CNN Money,
19 May 2025
Noun
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Remembering Molly Elliott, killed by Louisiana Death Row inmate Their killer is facing execution by firing squad.—
Fernando Cervantes Jr,
USA Today,
23 May 2025
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In a classic horror premise (a school dance in the ’80s, no less), a killer is picking off Shadyside High’s prom-queen candidates one by one.—
Savannah Salazar,
Vulture,
23 May 2025
Adjective
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The bankruptcy proceedings, filed in March, had drawn scrutiny from lawmakers who warned that millions of customers’ genetic data could be sold to unscrupulous buyers.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
19 May 2025
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Filho’s movie operates at the pace and tenor of a drama in exile, albeit one that’s fringed with B-movie fun and stalked by a pair of unscrupulous hitmen.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
18 May 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 29 May. 2025.
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