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
-
In its place rose the grandiose Palace of the Parliament—a neoclassical hulk that is the second-largest administrative building in the world, surpassed only by the Pentagon.—
Rebecca Mead,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026 -
Known for his muscular build and hulk-like roles in Hollywood as much as his political record, perhaps even more so, Schwarzenegger is an icon in the bodybuilding universe.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
In the reboot, Russell Crowe plays Juan Sánchez-Villalobos Ramírez, the warrior first played by Connery, and Dave Bautista is The Kurgan, Brown’s brutal barbarian from the first movie.—
Jordan Moreau,
Variety,
16 Apr. 2026
-
In most academic histories of European imperialism written in this century, the Europeans are the barbarians, killing and raping and looting on an unprecedented scale.—
David A. Bell,
The New York Review of Books,
19 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Pete Hegseth rebukes 'rude' reporter who interrupted Pentagon briefing on Iran.—
,
FOXNews.com,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Meanwhile, wearing baseball caps backward is considered a rude violation of etiquette, and going barefoot is not allowed.—
Samantha Stutsman,
PEOPLE,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Over Christmas, while trying to pinpoint where the discomfort was really coming from, Warner discovered a lump.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Castaways Raw Bar & Grill is another local favorite, which regularly draws crowds with its seafood mac-n-cheese and jumbo lump crab cakes.—
Kristy Tolley,
Travel + Leisure,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Costa Mesa resident Laura Lee Yourex, 63, who bragged on social media about registering her dog to vote and subsequently cast ballots in the animal’s name, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor.—
Andrew J. Campa,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Always armed, as younger siblings ought to be, with endless animal facts, my brother continues to explain how whales and humans both evolved from the same four-legged mammal some 65 million years ago.—
Hannah Towey,
Condé Nast Traveler,
22 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
This time playing an underling rather than a boss, Hoskins gave one of the best performances of his career in what remains a high point for Jordan as well, a lyrical and poignant yet savage film noir filled with regret, rage, and unrequited love.—
Jim Hemphill,
IndieWire,
20 Apr. 2026
-
The famed African American journalist investigated lynchings across the South and wrote about the savage incidents that the white press had already explained away.—
Case Thorp,
The Orlando Sentinel,
5 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
There were many losers in Virginia’s vote to approve a gerrymandered, Democratic map.—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
22 Apr. 2026
-
One loser is Secrets, who was stuck on the Metro for too long after an accident at Metro Center.—
Rob Crilly,
The Washington Examiner,
22 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The strip explored the life of a group of cavemen and their anthropomorphic animals and dinosaurs in prehistoric times, and has been in production for nearly 70 years, currently managed by Hart’s family.—
Arushi Jacob,
Variety,
2 Apr. 2026
-
The story features cavemen and several different animals, including dinosaurs.—
Raven Brunner,
PEOPLE,
2 Apr. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Neanderthal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/Neanderthal. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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