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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of brutality
For instance, his description of Sultan Allauddin Khilji’s brutality toward his enemies is devoid of accusations of barbarism or excessive hand-wringing.
—
Radha Vatsal
june 20, Literary Hub, 20 June 2025
Program participants were all survivors of police brutality.
—Nuri Kino, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 June 2025
The end of his life was marked by the same sort of brutality that plagued its beginnings.
—Charlie Lee, Harpers Magazine, 18 June 2025
What society in the world would not see its heart grow cold by such brutality?
—Thomas L. Friedman, Mercury News, 14 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for brutality
Radha Vatsal
june 20, Literary Hub, 20 June 2025
Program participants were all survivors of police brutality.
—Nuri Kino, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 June 2025
The end of his life was marked by the same sort of brutality that plagued its beginnings.
—Charlie Lee, Harpers Magazine, 18 June 2025
What society in the world would not see its heart grow cold by such brutality?
—Thomas L. Friedman, Mercury News, 14 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for brutality
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brutality
Noun
-
Perhaps the surprise return of Egghead Vance will turn it into symbol of resistance, seen at every demonstration against the cruelties and greed of the Trump machine.—
Miles Klee,
Rolling Stone,
25 June 2025
-
Other laws set to take effect on July 1 in Florida include House Bill 255, establishing harsher penalties for animal cruelty, and House Bill 653, setting new aggravating factors when determining whether someone convicted of a capital felony should receive the death penalty.—
Jenna Sundel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 June 2025
Noun
-
The former mayor of a small rural village in Haiti, accused of torturing and killing opponents in his homeland, was sentenced Friday in a Massachusetts federal court to nine years in prison for lying about the atrocities in order to obtain a U.S. green card.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
20 June 2025
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Hamas’ atrocities on Oct. 7, and their Iranian patrons’ dash toward nuclear weapons, have only strengthened our determination to build a better future for Iran, Israel and the region.—
Shervin Pishevar,
New York Daily News,
19 June 2025
Noun
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Hope is something that Dior’s creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri can related to, having explored the dualities of hope and despair (as well as lightness and darkness, and fluidity and animalism) in her spring 2023 collection.—
Rosemary Feitelberg,
WWD,
22 Jan. 2025
-
All of a sudden, that animalism has been incarnated.—
Hunter Ingram,
Variety,
25 Mar. 2024
Noun
-
This strangeness causes all sorts of internal agitation, an uneasiness about humanity’s closeness to animality.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
16 Feb. 2025
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But also, something more intrinsic — something like her animality.—
Camille Bromley Gabra Zackman Krish Seenivasan David Mason,
New York Times,
6 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Brutality.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brutality. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
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