as in ruthlessly
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of cruelly
Last month, 60 Minutes lost its DNA when our entire senior leadership and two of our best on-air correspondents were cruelly fired without cause.
—
Joanna Ossinger,laya Neelakandan, CNBC, 3 June 2026
Their 2-0 home win over Fulham came after Josh King was cruelly denied his first Premier League goal by an incorrect VAR intervention, with Rodrigo Muniz penalised for standing on Chalobah’s foot.
—Graham Scott, New York Times, 2 June 2026
That creature cruelly draining and discarding the aged?
—Graham Hillard, The Washington Examiner, 31 May 2026
Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids that cruelly sow fear are not the solution.
—Chicago Tribune, 8 May 2026
His ability to endure might, in a perverse way, have been a gift from his father, who, by Hurst’s account, treated him cruelly.
—Chris Wiley, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2026
Immigrant rights advocates have criticized the practice as inhumane and say ICE has cruelly targeted people following the rules by turning up to their court dates to meet quotas.
—Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 26 Mar. 2026
This year’s ceremony was not perfect, of course — there were some sound-production issues, there were some presenters with milquetoast bits (as always), and a few winners were played off the stage with cruelly abrupt music cues.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 16 Mar. 2026
As a young schoolboy, Davidson was often cruelly stigmatized because no one had bothered to diagnose his disorder.
—Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 23 Feb. 2026
Joanna Ossinger,laya Neelakandan, CNBC, 3 June 2026
Their 2-0 home win over Fulham came after Josh King was cruelly denied his first Premier League goal by an incorrect VAR intervention, with Rodrigo Muniz penalised for standing on Chalobah’s foot.
—Graham Scott, New York Times, 2 June 2026
That creature cruelly draining and discarding the aged?
—Graham Hillard, The Washington Examiner, 31 May 2026
Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids that cruelly sow fear are not the solution.
—Chicago Tribune, 8 May 2026
His ability to endure might, in a perverse way, have been a gift from his father, who, by Hurst’s account, treated him cruelly.
—Chris Wiley, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2026
Immigrant rights advocates have criticized the practice as inhumane and say ICE has cruelly targeted people following the rules by turning up to their court dates to meet quotas.
—Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 26 Mar. 2026
This year’s ceremony was not perfect, of course — there were some sound-production issues, there were some presenters with milquetoast bits (as always), and a few winners were played off the stage with cruelly abrupt music cues.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 16 Mar. 2026
As a young schoolboy, Davidson was often cruelly stigmatized because no one had bothered to diagnose his disorder.
—Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 23 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cruelly
Adverb
-
Sometimes that means honoring the past; sometimes that means ruthlessly hitting reset with a lively new Bond for our modern times (the game even features tension over AI).—
Jordan Minor,
PC Magazine,
29 May 2026
-
Tire management has improved dramatically since the opening rounds, while his qualifying performances have become ruthlessly consistent.—
Peter Lyon,
Forbes.com,
25 May 2026
Adverb
-
The home crowd mercilessly booed Schultz as Arraez jogged off the pain, then cheered even louder when the pitcher was pulled from the game.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
24 May 2026
-
Because sometimes, somebody will go down, and then the other fighter will jump on him and start punching him mercilessly in the head.—
David Remnick,
New Yorker,
22 May 2026
Adverb
-
Victim Nyron Shaw’s father said the driver who mowed his son down last year in Ocean Hill a day before Independence Day should face the maximum penalty for allegedly driving twice the speed limit and heartlessly taking off, leaving his son to die.—
Nicholas Williams,
New York Daily News,
8 Apr. 2026
-
In the process, Joel heartlessly killed some innocent people, including medical professionals.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
26 Aug. 2025
Adverb
-
The first hour, set at a resort that’s like a singles cruise through the Twilight Zone (or Bachelor in Paradise beamed in from a brutal alternate universe), contains some of the most pitilessly funny scenes of the filmmaker’s career.—
A.A. Dowd,
Vulture,
24 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
The heartbroken mother of a 15-year-old boy who was beaten and fatally shot inside a Queens park as dozens of teens callously filmed the slaying on their phones condemned his killer — and those who did nothing but watch him die.—
Kerry Burke,
New York Daily News,
18 Apr. 2026
-
Marley’s level of fame and influence meant that, after his death at 36, his legacy, his spirit, his brand was to be shaped by a record industry that could be callously indifferent to truth or quality at the expense of revenue.—
Eric Harvey,
Pitchfork,
18 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
The complaints also allege the 37 people detained were taken to the Broadview ICE detention center where they were treated inhumanely.—
Sara Tenenbaum,
CBS News,
13 May 2026
-
Building Alligator Alcatraz and being proud of treating people inhumanely while at the same time stealing money for his charity is disgusting.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
25 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
After Adele and her mother had fought, bitterly, about her decision to keep the baby, and then more bitterly about her refusal to find Jamie in Florida and demand child support, Bromley invited her to live with him while things cooled down at home.—
Jonathan Franzen,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
-
During the Nullification Crisis of 1831–1833, partisan journalists had a major role in framing the issue and were bitterly opposed to one another, especially in South Carolina.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
26 May 2026
Adverb
-
Yet, since the post went up, some people have unkindly critiqued her cheeks, nose, chin and complexion, while others wonder what the fuss is all about.—
Lisa Gutierrez,
Kansas City Star,
26 Feb. 2026
-
Tabloids and magazines regularly reported on the state of the relationship, often unkindly.—
Culture Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cruelly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cruelly. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
