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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
  • For instance, your colleagues may be very agreeable and kind to their boss but rude to their more junior colleagues, or the cafeteria waiter.
    — Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Totally ignoring the humanity of both worker and customer is rude, and yet both parties are interested in getting on with whatever the transaction is.
    — Judith Martin, Mercury News, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of rude
Noun
  • Fresh lump crab meat, three cheeses, and a few tangy and spicy ingredients meld into one dreamy dip.
    — Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Yes, a debt relief company may be able to help after a lawsuit has been filed — particularly in terms of negotiating a lower lump-sum settlement on the debt.
    — Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of lump
Noun
  • Some must also be housed and cared for as evidence, either until charges against a defendant are dismissed or the animals are permanently seized by the government.
    — John Donegan LONG BEACH POST, Arkansas Online, 15 Sep. 2026
  • In species ranging from worms and flies to rodents and primates, caloric restriction produces animals that appear biologically younger than their age.
    — Venki Ramakrishnan, Scientific American, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of animal
Adjective
  • Bryan Singer’s ingenious thriller is both a graceful callback to ’50s potboilers and a savage modernization of them.
    — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Cole, who has to maneuver his way around 20 savage crew members, each of whom will need to be killed, doesn’t waste a homicidal movement.
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of savage
Noun
  • The biggest losers right now are truckload carriers, especially small firms or owner-operators.
    — Kevin Williams, CNBC, 17 Sep. 2026
  • The losers would include the families of passengers who were uninsured, those of trespassers who were careless (or suicidal), and, equally tragically, those of unfortunate railway employees killed in the course of their employment.
    — Amelia Soth, JSTOR Daily, 16 Sep. 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

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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 20 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on Neanderthal

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about Neanderthal

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