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
Relevance
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
variants
or Neandertal
as in rude
not civilized
her boyfriend's Neanderthal tastes and manners were often embarrassing
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for Neanderthal
Noun
-
Remember the scene in Marvel's The Avengers, when Bruce Banner transformed into the hulk and punched a Chitauri Leviathan in the face, bringing it to a sudden halt?—
Chris McMullen,
Space.com,
28 Nov. 2025 -
Jerome Grand Hotel For 44 years, the empty hulk of the United Verde Hospital loomed above the town like Dr. Frankenstein’s laboratory.—
Roger Naylor,
AZCentral.com,
14 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Live television crews captured the chaos, each faction functioning as another barbarian at the gate.—
Jenny Lumet,
Vanity Fair,
10 Feb. 2026
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And if any of you barbarians out there slather ranch dressing on your wings, there’s a special place in hell just for you.—
Bill Reinhard,
New York Daily News,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Margot Robbie once had the world's rudest coworker.—
Raechal Shewfelt,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Feb. 2026
-
The other systems are even ruder.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Look for fresh jumbo lump crabmeat for this absolutely decadent dip.—
Lisa Cericola,
Southern Living,
15 Feb. 2026
-
The adjustments include new, higher monthly benefit payments as well as a retroactive lump-sum payment for benefits paid from January 2024 onward.—
Lorie Konish,
CNBC,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
One code violation prohibits residents from having more than three animals and two additional animals up to three months of age in one household.—
Addison Wright,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Feb. 2026
-
The aquarium opened a new era Tuesday with the announcement that Jenny Gray — a leader known for her work in animal ethics, welfare and conservation in Australia — will become just the second chief executive to lead the Monterey aquarium.—
James Rainey,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Wade Wilson confessed to the savage murders of two women, yet even that brutality failed to repel admirers.—
Stephanie Nolasco,
FOXNews.com,
15 Feb. 2026
-
On his second, Dominique pulled off a savage windmill, the same dunk that had earned a perfect score the year before and won him the title.—
Kevin Sherrington
Feb. 10,
Dallas Morning News,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The country doesn’t have answers that don’t involve upskilling, education, or trying and failing to compensate the losers.—
Annie Lowrey,
The Atlantic,
18 Feb. 2026
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There were no winners or losers, at least in the typical uses of the terms, and at the end of the night, people continued with friendly conversation, well after the game had ended.—
Jeff Banowetz,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
This old-style Bavarian beer hall can accommodate all fans of Germanic cuisine with jäger schnitzel, wild-boar sausages and a baked pork shank that looks like something a caveman would thomp a dinosaur with.—
Sal Pizarro,
Mercury News,
19 Jan. 2026
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But given our caveman approach, that possibility is now gone.—
Steve Forbes,
Forbes.com,
14 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Neanderthal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/Neanderthal. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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