CRUELLY Synonyms: 91 Similar and Opposite Words

cruelly

adverb

Definition of cruelly

as in ruthlessly

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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 And, if Barisone was psychotically deluded, how was the jury meant to understand the defense’s central framing, which was that Kanarek had cruelly tried to harm Barisone? — Ian Parker, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026 Hansen can be cruelly mocking towards his oft-flustered but extremely professional producer Andie Bender (an astonishingly good Merritt Wever). — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2026 Then came a dip in form and, cruelly, a foot injury in January that ended his season. — Cerys Jones, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2026 Clancy is, in these tellings, a victim of spousal abuse akin to torture, whose partner cruelly exploited her postpartum suffering in order to dispose of his family. — Elizabeth Bruenig, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2026 Tóibín practises a sustained reticence, even as fate strikes so cruelly as to give this story an absurdist edge. — Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2026 The practice was criticized by advocates and others as cruelly targeting rule followers as low-hanging fruit to meet quotas. — Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 20 July 2026 In the movie, Calypso is portrayed less cruelly, and is depicted as being in love with Odysseus. — Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 18 July 2026 Christian Pulisic even had a goal cruelly wiped out by the offside flag. — Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 2 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cruelly

Adverb

Defensively, Chelsea ruthlessly exploited loose marking and errors, and the scoreline could have been even more painful without some fine saves by goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce.

— Cerys Jones, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
The Joker, Batman movies Batman’s greatest adversary is ruthlessly, functionally insane.

— Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of ruthlessly

Adverb

This is no small feat in a city where working class locals are priced out mercilessly to make way for the ultra-wealthy here to work on their winter tans.

— Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 2 Sep. 2026
Despite her clear influence, Rico was mercilessly heckled by Carti fans during her performance at the Portland tour stop.

— Mehan Jayasuriya, Pitchfork, 24 July 2026

Definition of mercilessly

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

Definition of heartlessly

Adverb

The biggest fear for people who want to see books preserved through the training process is that AI firms will callously pulp rare books that can never be replaced.

— Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 12 Aug. 2026
Conventional wisdom callously had it that audiences might never return, especially after the pandemic in 2020 was followed in short order in 2023 by two prolonged industrywide strikes.

— Adam Aron, Variety, 29 July 2026

Definition of callously

Adverb

Walter’s ties to immigrant detention resulted in protests from members of the Los Angeles community, including many Dodgers fans, who felt that ICE inhumanely targeted them.

— Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
In May 2025, the zoo posted a video of authorities taking a giraffe and accused them of seizing it inhumanely.

— Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 22 June 2026

Definition of inhumanely

Adverb

In the case of severe winds during bitterly cold weather, look for elk on leeward slopes where they’re offered some protection.

— Jim Zumbo, Outdoor Life, 10 Sep. 2026
Homer Hill, as the name suggests, is also at no little altitude, and bitterly exposed to the elements when winter arrives.

— Daniel Taylor, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of bitterly

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

Definition of unkindly

Browse Nearby Words

cruel

cruelly

cruelness

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“Cruelly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cruelly. Accessed 17 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of cruelly

adverb

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