1
as in losers
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 barbarians
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
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for Neanderthals
Noun
-
Semifinalists earn 750,000 euros and first round losers get 87,000 euros.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Apr. 2026 -
This was an elimination game with the winners getting another opportunity to extend their season and the losers going on vacation.—
Janis Carr,
Oc Register,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
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
Noun
-
Traoré took his lumps early but started and excelled down the stretch.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Very hard, small lumps or watery, soupy liquid are both cause for concern.—
Andrea Muraskin,
NPR,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Many wonders made the list, including royal burial grounds in Egypt, an Indonesian archipelago of 1,500 islands and Turkish cliffs formerly inhabited by Bronze Age troglodytes (cave dwellers).—
John Metcalfe,
Mercury News,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Logan’s script seems intent on making the case that Michael was simply a big kid, frequently cutting to him leafing through his beloved Peter Pan books, dreaming that Neverland is a real place, adoring animals (not his pets!—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
21 Apr. 2026
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Jaafar Jackson does bear an uncanny resemblance to his late uncle, and clearly knows how to replicate his signature moves, his physical fluidity, his beaming smile reserved for fans, animals, and hospital residents.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
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What sets Brule apart from fellow idiots in similar setups like Borat or Philomena Cunk is Reilly’s ability to present Brule with deep pathos and a sense of mystery, offering glimpses into a dark backstory, all made unsettling by the show’s analog-horror aesthetic.—
Eric Vilas-Boas,
Vulture,
18 Mar. 2026
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One gets the sense, reading DuBois, that Stanton’s fervor for political action stemmed from a dread of being governed by idiots.—
Moira Donegan,
New Yorker,
13 Mar. 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
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Then language itself breaks apart into letters and sounds, grunted like cavemen incanting around a campfire.—
Theater Critic,
San Francisco Chronicle,
15 Nov. 2024
Noun
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There are complicated brain-chemistry factors involved that have to do with testosterone, and dopaminergic systems, and kappa-opioid receptors, all of which seem to add up to a Jim Gaffigan joke about how men are morons compared with their wives.—
McKay Coppins,
The Atlantic,
12 Mar. 2026
-
The Dilbert principle — traced back to a quote in a 1995 strip — posited that managers and higher-ups are actually successful morons whose stubbornness is confused for real leadership qualities.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
13 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Neanderthals.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/Neanderthals. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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