as in harshly
in a manner so as to cause loss or suffering
the prisoners were treated brutally at the hands of the guards
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Recent Examples of brutally
Catriona, the charming young heiress to a vast oil fortune, and her two year old son Adam, were brutally kidnapped at gunpoint outside a fish and chip shop in Fife.
—
Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 1 Oct. 2025
The drama follows Wasikowska (Alice in Wonderland) as a detective called in to investigate the 1987 massacre of four scientists brutally murdered in inexplicable ways, with a lone survivor the obvious suspect.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 1 Oct. 2025
It’s been 18 years since Knox returned home to her Perugia, Italy apartment to find her roommate Meredith Kercher brutally stabbed to death.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 1 Oct. 2025
Then, demons rise up and brutally attack them before taking their souls.
—Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 27 Sep. 2025
Atsu has one goal in mine, the elimination of the Yotei Six, who brutally attacked her family.
—Gieson Cacho, Mercury News, 26 Sep. 2025
In the immediate aftermath, he was brutally problematized for the performance.
—James Factora, Them., 26 Sep. 2025
Truth is, Leonardo DiCaprio’s Ernest is this epic film’s brutally flawed main character, a seemingly nice-enough nobody who returns from World War I, falls in love with and marries Gladstone’s Mollie, and consequently helps to orchestrate her and her family’s destruction.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 26 Sep. 2025
Hamas has responded brutally to those who criticize its actions in Gaza.
—Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN Money, 25 Sep. 2025
Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 1 Oct. 2025
The drama follows Wasikowska (Alice in Wonderland) as a detective called in to investigate the 1987 massacre of four scientists brutally murdered in inexplicable ways, with a lone survivor the obvious suspect.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 1 Oct. 2025
It’s been 18 years since Knox returned home to her Perugia, Italy apartment to find her roommate Meredith Kercher brutally stabbed to death.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 1 Oct. 2025
Then, demons rise up and brutally attack them before taking their souls.
—Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 27 Sep. 2025
Atsu has one goal in mine, the elimination of the Yotei Six, who brutally attacked her family.
—Gieson Cacho, Mercury News, 26 Sep. 2025
In the immediate aftermath, he was brutally problematized for the performance.
—James Factora, Them., 26 Sep. 2025
Truth is, Leonardo DiCaprio’s Ernest is this epic film’s brutally flawed main character, a seemingly nice-enough nobody who returns from World War I, falls in love with and marries Gladstone’s Mollie, and consequently helps to orchestrate her and her family’s destruction.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 26 Sep. 2025
Hamas has responded brutally to those who criticize its actions in Gaza.
—Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN Money, 25 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brutally
Adverb
-
In the 42nd minute, having cut inside Niang, Leysen lunged wildly to try and prevent Elanga recovering the ball, but got nowhere near it and conceded a penalty (he was harshly adjudged to have handballed it during the second half for another spot kick, too).—
Chris Waugh,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
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He was immediately called out by a member of the Directing Staff, who addressed him harshly by his team number.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
26 Sep. 2025
Adverb
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But warming ocean temperatures, rising sea levels, disease and human activity, such as pollution, have severely degraded Florida's reefs, according to the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
1 Oct. 2025
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Local nonprofits warn that prolonged disruption could severely strain food banks, which are already operating under heightened demand.—
Hollie Silverman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
On an oppressively hot Friday in July, plumes of smoke curl up from Arnolds Field.—
Laura Paddison,
CNN Money,
15 Aug. 2025
Adverb
-
The front ants bent their legs and pulled hard at the leaf tip with their mandibles while the rear ants held the leaf still.—
Rohini Subrahmanyam,
Scientific American,
29 Sep. 2025
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Faith in the mission makes people work harder, push harder and do better.—
Billy Ray,
Deadline,
29 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Brutally.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brutally. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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