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 -
Betty Gilpin as the strong-willed Crete Garfield; Nick Offerman as Chester Arthur, Garfield’s scheming hulk of a vice president; and especially Shea Whigham as Sen. Roscoe Conkling, a New York political boss whose power Garfield wants to circumvent, are magnetic and entertaining.—
Bill Goodykoontz,
AZCentral.com,
12 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
We were inspired by their outrageous VHS cover art that promised epic tales of heroic barbarians rescuing buxom babes from giant monsters.—
Bear McCreary,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Nov. 2025
-
The Gauls had been described as barbarians by Julius Caesar and Livy, but now had become these Ur people, far more ancient and civilized than their ancient Roman detractors.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
16 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
People at work have made rude comments pertaining to my hearing.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Mercury News,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Though Jackson acknowledged that those time crunches can be stressful, being rude isn't the way to go.—
Natalia Senanayake,
PEOPLE,
31 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Lined up next to rookie left tackle Josh Simmons and veteran center Creed Humphrey, Suamataia took some lumps in the first two preseason games before settling in for a clean sheet in the third look against the Bears.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
8 Jan. 2026
-
The cash option is a one-time, lump-sum payment that is equal to all the cash in the Mega Millions jackpot prize pool.—
Tanya Wildt,
Freep.com,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Johnson said that the animal caused extensive damage to his home, costing tens of thousands of dollars.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Deputies arrested Sargent on Thursday on two felony animal-cruelty counts and one misdemeanor count.—
David Goodhue,
Miami Herald,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
This league is a savage league.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
22 Dec. 2025
-
The fifth-place finisher also reveals the inspiration for her savage jury question to Savannah.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
18 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Given both are in the top 10 of the CFP rankings, the winner will be in the driver's seat for the automatic berth while the loser can lose control of their destiny.—
Jordan Mendoza,
USA Today,
7 Nov. 2025
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The ability to create and absorb failure has always been a key resource in an industry whose losers historically outnumber its winners.—
Peter Bart,
Deadline,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The fork-tender caveman-size shank is blanketed in sautéed endive and a bright lemon-egg-dill sauce.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
4 Jan. 2026
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Didn’t perpetually enraged caveman Spear meet his end at the hands of a demonic giant made of fire?—
Eric Vilas-Boas,
Vulture,
30 Dec. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Neanderthal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/Neanderthal. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.
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