1
as in cruelty
disposition to willfully inflict pain and suffering on others
the police were accused of brutality for using excessive force in making arrests
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2
as in brutishness
the manifestation of the traits or the gratification of the appetites of a lower animal
the disconcerting ease with which the people adopted the brutality of the enemy invaders
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of brutality
Denzel Washington plays Lucas as a speak-softly-but-carry-a-big-stick type who likes to operate in the shadows, but strikes with overwhelming and often audacious brutality to defend his territory.
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Scott Tobias, Vulture, 20 Nov. 2024
In one scenario, our species could emerge so transformed as to avoid entirely the brutality of human conduct.
—Henry A. Kissinger, Foreign Affairs, 18 Nov. 2024
House Atreides, from which the films’ protagonist Paul (Timothee Chalamet) hails, has a righteousness and goodness that, in contrast to the Harkonnens’ brutality, makes the two families enemies.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 14 Nov. 2024
Where Pink Floyd’s Seventies oeuvre obsessed on the brutality of the human condition, Gilmour’s latest solo music concerns itself with humanity’s fragility.
—Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for brutality 
Scott Tobias, Vulture, 20 Nov. 2024
In one scenario, our species could emerge so transformed as to avoid entirely the brutality of human conduct.
—Henry A. Kissinger, Foreign Affairs, 18 Nov. 2024
House Atreides, from which the films’ protagonist Paul (Timothee Chalamet) hails, has a righteousness and goodness that, in contrast to the Harkonnens’ brutality, makes the two families enemies.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 14 Nov. 2024
Where Pink Floyd’s Seventies oeuvre obsessed on the brutality of the human condition, Gilmour’s latest solo music concerns itself with humanity’s fragility.
—Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for brutality
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brutality
Noun
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Family seeks stronger laws to combat animal cruelty Soon after Sonnemann was charged, Shelly Ciardo called numerous state legislators to try to get stronger laws to combat animal cruelty.Cathy Kozlowicz, Journal Sentinel, 27 Nov. 2024
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The sanctuary receives turkeys from factory farm workers who rescue them, anonymous drop-offs, animal cruelty cases, law enforcement and from individual farmers who initially purchase the turkeys and then grow attached.Maya Blackstone, CNN, 27 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Many of the women are from the city of Bucha, a suburb of Kyiv, where some of the worst atrocities took place in the early days of the war, including the execution of civilians in the street.Elizabeth Both, NBC News, 28 Nov. 2024
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In 2016-2017, the community was subjected to a litany of atrocities aiming at the annihilation of the community and meeting the legal definition of genocide in Article II of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (Genocide Convention).Dr. Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2024
Noun
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All of a sudden, that animalism has been incarnated.Hunter Ingram, Variety, 25 Mar. 2024
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But what Cameron represents to Harper is unfettered animalism, and that’s part of what’s missing in her relationship with Ethan.Marlow Stern, Rolling Stone, 12 Dec. 2022
Noun
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The other characters are getting animalities, as well: Peacemaker gets the eagle, Omni-Man the Hail Mary kaiju from Invincible, and Johnny Cage becomes a shark.Nick Romano, EW.com, 23 Sep. 2024
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Meg combined elements of Christie Monteiro, with Bryans Snakeskin Pants (both from Tekken), while dancing in a DDR setting similarly to Ulala from Space Channel 5, fatalities and animalities from MK, with nods to old school games from the Sega Genesis era.Solcyré Burga, TIME, 10 May 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Brutality.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brutality. Accessed 6 Dec. 2024.
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