as in ruthless
having or showing a lack of sympathy or tender feelings
she is a merciless competitor at board games of any kind
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Recent Examples of merciless
With no hope of rescue, a father (Pine) and his daughter (Bell) must fight to survive against a merciless predator that blends in with the snow.
—
Matt Grobar, Deadline, 6 Mar. 2026
Waltz lends a slimy charisma to the merciless SS colonel, who gets a satisfying comeuppance via carving knife.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 4 Mar. 2026
These are two of the most conniving, merciless people on television, and they’re bonded by the twin desire to be more like the other.
—Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 23 Feb. 2026
Many games were blowouts, allowing Faulkner to gain experience and develop a merciless attitude.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for merciless
Matt Grobar, Deadline, 6 Mar. 2026
Waltz lends a slimy charisma to the merciless SS colonel, who gets a satisfying comeuppance via carving knife.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 4 Mar. 2026
These are two of the most conniving, merciless people on television, and they’re bonded by the twin desire to be more like the other.
—Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 23 Feb. 2026
Many games were blowouts, allowing Faulkner to gain experience and develop a merciless attitude.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for merciless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for merciless
Adjective
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Typewriters, stationery, fine-art museums, the quintessential impressionist painter—these are all associated with taste, beauty, and craft, as well as with intentionality and care, the opposite of the ruthless technological efficiency that repels many from generative AI.—
Matteo Wong,
The Atlantic,
25 Mar. 2026
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Even if the film doesn’t co-sign her ideology, Ursula is the most nuanced of the ruthless killers, and Gellar is adept at digging into the character’s ambiguity and shifting priorities.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Except every movie tends to get five buckets, while the rest of their time curdles into Tim sharing too much about his personal life as Gregg stares on, his stony, Buster Keaton-like face saying nothing and everything.—
Christopher Borrelli,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Mar. 2026
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That same stony resistance stymied Henry’s next attempt at commercial success, a parasol with a snap-on cover that could be changed to match a woman’s outfit.—
Shoshi Parks,
Popular Science,
19 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Merciless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/merciless. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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