Neanderthal 1 of 2

noun

nē-ˈan-dər-ˌtȯl How to pronounce Neanderthal (audio)
Definition of Neanderthalnext
1
as in hulk
a big clumsy often slow-witted person they looked like a tribe of Neanderthals compared to the bridegroom's patrician-looking family

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in barbarian
a man with crude manners and habits and outmoded attitudes made the mistake of dining with some Neanderthal who repeatedly mistook his shirtsleeve for a napkin

Synonyms & Similar Words

Neanderthal

2 of 2

adjective

variants or Neandertal
as in rude
not civilized her boyfriend's Neanderthal tastes and manners were often embarrassing

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of Neanderthal
Noun
This didn’t become common practice until a few hundred years ago, but at least one Neanderthal apparently figured it out and convinced someone to go along with it. — ArsTechnica, 13 May 2026 And all of those size differences are too small to have any effect on cognitive ability, so Neanderthals could easily be on par with our species there, too. — ArsTechnica, 28 Apr. 2026 One key piece of evidence comes from a 2008 study published in BMC Evolutionary Biology, which analyzed DNA extracted from Neanderthal remains found at the El Sidrón site in Spain. — Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 20 Apr. 2026 Archaeologists frequently find birch tar at Neanderthal archaeological sites, which comes from birch trees. — Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 18 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for Neanderthal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for Neanderthal
  1. hulk
  2. barbarian
  3. rude
  4. lump
  5. animal
  6. savage
  7. loser
  8. caveman
Noun
  • Water levels on the Danube River, the second longest in Europe, have dropped so low because of drought that the hulks of dozens of World War II German battleships — and even the remains of an ancient woolly mammoth — are emerging into view.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 4 Aug. 2026
  • In the film, Russell wants a hulk of a man but doesn’t care about money, while Monroe transparently is looking for a man who can fuel her desire for diamonds.
    — Rance Collins, Entertainment Weekly, 17 July 2026
Definition of hulk
Noun
  • So that, zombie- or indeed mummy-like, the barbarians can mimic imperial subjects enough to look human.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2026
  • If OpenAI’s agents are Romans, humanity represents the barbarians.
    — Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of barbarian
Adjective
  • No rude reality intrudes on Avedon’s dream city, where the women are beautiful and in love and even the bystanders are charmed.
    — Vince Aletti, New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Which was frankly rude, since it’s been living in my house for a decade.
    — Jennifer Pattison Tuohy, The Verge, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of rude
Noun
  • The initial lump was detected during a routine check, the Vatican has said.
    — Freddie Clayton, NBC news, 17 Oct. 2026
  • If a new lump has no clear explanation or is still there after two weeks, make an appointment.
    — Angela Haupt, Time, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of lump
Noun
  • That contact was evident during the AP’s trip aboard the F/V Progress, when Tanner crabs and basket stars — animals that live on the seafloor — came up in the net.
    — Annika Hammerschlag, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Rich brown leather is a great way to break up a cool denim-on-denim look, while a pop of animal print goes perfectly with a pair of brown denim shorts.
    — Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of animal
Adjective
  • The Indian pilot who fought off a savage attack by his copilot and helped prevent an apparent hijack of a Flydubai plane heading to Israel with more than 170 people on board is being hailed as a hero.
    — Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026
  • The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index weathered a savage 30% drawdown, has been choppily trendless for two months, then in recent days finally broke above its downtrend and surmounted the 50-day moving average.
    — Michael Santoli, CNBC, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of savage
Noun
  • The selling in recent days, however, has intensified on worries about the AI trade, making the likes of Micron among our biggest losers week-to-date and defensives such as Cardinal Health among our biggest weekly winners.
    — Alexa LoMonaco, CNBC, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Progress in the competition awaits the winner, exit for the loser.
    — Lars Brandle, Billboard, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of loser
Noun
  • The challenge was to figure out what exactly appeared on the caveman food pyramid.
    — David Merritt Johns, The Atlantic, 27 June 2026
  • There’s a lyric where reporters are wondering why Mullally’s Vera Vim, a fading actress, bought a caveman.
    — Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 25 June 2026
Definition of caveman

Browse Nearby Words

ne'er-do-wells
Neanderthal
Neanderthals
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Cite this Entry

“Neanderthal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/Neanderthal. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on Neanderthal

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about Neanderthal

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