1
as in harsh
difficult to endure
brutal hard labor in the hot sun
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in cruel
having or showing the desire to inflict severe pain and suffering on others
a brutal tyrant who drove his country to revolt
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in brute
having or showing the nature and appetites of a lower animal
a coarse, brutal man who has no sense of what it means to be refined or sensitive or cultured
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of brutal
But Marino saw the opportunity to craft a truly transformational look that had little nods to how the comics character has looked in past iterations, but truly looked like a person with a real, and brutal, history.
—
Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 3 June 2025
The leg would take twelve hours over open water—a brutal endurance test.
—Laurie Gwen Shapiro, New Yorker, 2 June 2025
Lori survives the brutal events of prom night, but not without a fight.
—Jane Lacroix, People.com, 24 May 2025
Amid the brutal cuts across the federal government under the Trump administration, perhaps one of the most gutting is the loss of experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention who respond to lead poisoning in children.
—John Timmer, ArsTechnica, 23 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for brutal
Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 3 June 2025
The leg would take twelve hours over open water—a brutal endurance test.
—Laurie Gwen Shapiro, New Yorker, 2 June 2025
Lori survives the brutal events of prom night, but not without a fight.
—Jane Lacroix, People.com, 24 May 2025
Amid the brutal cuts across the federal government under the Trump administration, perhaps one of the most gutting is the loss of experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention who respond to lead poisoning in children.
—John Timmer, ArsTechnica, 23 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for brutal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brutal
Adjective
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From growing up in the streets of Kansas City to serving jail time, Gilliam shared how rapping about his harsh experiences has made fans love him.—
Ramal Nasim,
Kansas City Star,
4 June 2025
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Netflix released the trailer for the reality TV show on YouTube on Wednesday, which starts with a voice-over of a cheerleader talking about how the DCC will always be in each other’s lives before explaining the harsh reality of trying out to be a Cowboys cheerleader with all the talent.—
Lawrence Dow,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
4 June 2025
Adjective
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The reason Evin is infamous is because of its terribly cruel high security detention centers that are poorly supervised by the Prison Chief.—
Jeff Kaufman,
Time,
30 May 2025
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But then perhaps that is her unsatisfying but depressingly undeniable point: there is no challenging minds this small, behaviors this cruel, spirits this mean.—
Jessica Kiang,
Variety,
30 May 2025
Adjective
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After seizing power in 2007, Hamas clamped down on Gaza’s gangs — sometimes with brute force and sometimes by steering perks their way.—
Julia Frankel,
Los Angeles Times,
7 June 2025
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His brute force and scoring touch were the perfect blend of physicality and finesse Florida needed and a dominant style of game that carries over into the postseason.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
1 June 2025
Adjective
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This is a time for doing the tough, often unglamorous job of making the city function for all New Yorkers.—
Scott Stringer,
New York Daily News,
3 June 2025
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Every day, Russia gives new reasons for tougher sanctions and stronger support for our defense.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
3 June 2025
Adjective
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There are other objects of worship from the days when Japan’s Christians had to hide from vicious persecution, including a ceramic bottle of holy water from Nakaenoshima, an island where Hidden Christians were martyred in the 1620s.—
Foster Klug,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2025
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Years before the Kendrick Lamar and Drake imbroglio, Pusha T shared his own vicious diss track against the Canadian hip-hop superstar.—
Matthew Strauss,
Pitchfork,
3 June 2025
Adjective
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More than 60 years ago, my parents fled Cuba for the United States, seeking freedom from an oppressive regime that dictated what businesses produced and how products were priced.—
Carlos Cubelo,
The Orlando Sentinel,
5 June 2025
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The film follows a 40-year-old widowed nurse named Mahnaz, who is struggling with a rebellious son and other complications in a heavily oppressive patriarchal context.—
Nick Vivarelli,
Variety,
22 May 2025
Adjective
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As savage Arctic cold was getting ready to surge south across North America, vivid imagery based on data from weather models showed us what was going to happen.—
Tom Yulsman,
Discover Magazine,
27 Dec. 2022
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The 2023 grand marshal is former Arizona Democratic congresswoman Gabby Giffords, gravely wounded in a savage mass shooting in 2011 that also killed six people.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Dec. 2022
Adjective
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His breakthrough role proved to be a history-making one too, securing the part of David, aka Tsotsi, in Gavin Hood’s searing 2005 crime drama Tsotsi.—
Abid Rahman,
HollywoodReporter,
27 May 2025
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And of all the heartbreak Indiana has caused Knicks fans over the years, this might be the most searing.—
Sean Gregory,
Time,
22 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Brutal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brutal. Accessed 13 Jun. 2025.
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