as in brutality
disposition to willfully inflict pain and suffering on others
centuries after he ravaged Europe, Attila the Hun remains notorious for his cruelty
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Recent Examples of cruelty
Over time, cruelty is no longer seen as harmful but as a signal that the relationship matters — that there is something meaningful worth chasing, especially when the relationship has been positioned as unique or transcendent by the other person.
—
Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 24 May 2025
The woman was arrested and charged with two felony counts of cruelty to non-livestock animals and four counts of endangering children.
—Jennifer Rodriguez, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 May 2025
On Tuesday, May 20, the Orange County District Attorney's Office confirmed in a press release that Alejandro Acosta Oliveros was charged with felony animal cruelty and felony theft of a companion animal.
—Gabrielle Rockson, People.com, 21 May 2025
Today, the Trump Administration’s theatre of cruelty toward immigrants can be traced to any number of root causes, including racist nostalgia, economic insecurity, and far-right Christian nationalism.
—Michael Luo, New Yorker, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for cruelty
Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 24 May 2025
The woman was arrested and charged with two felony counts of cruelty to non-livestock animals and four counts of endangering children.
—Jennifer Rodriguez, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 May 2025
On Tuesday, May 20, the Orange County District Attorney's Office confirmed in a press release that Alejandro Acosta Oliveros was charged with felony animal cruelty and felony theft of a companion animal.
—Gabrielle Rockson, People.com, 21 May 2025
Today, the Trump Administration’s theatre of cruelty toward immigrants can be traced to any number of root causes, including racist nostalgia, economic insecurity, and far-right Christian nationalism.
—Michael Luo, New Yorker, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for cruelty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cruelty
Noun
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Trump’s allusions to police brutality – the very thing demonstrators were protesting – only seemed to rile them and underscore what was at stake.—
Chelsea Bailey,
CNN Money,
24 May 2025
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The jury has seen his brutality in the harrowing video at the InterContinental Hotel and photographs of her injuries.—
Elizabeth Geddes,
Rolling Stone,
23 May 2025
Noun
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Immediately, people all over the world are uploading videos of their enemies committing atrocities, inflaming centuries-old animosities.—
Glenn Whipp,
Los Angeles Times,
2 June 2025
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After thousands of terrorists invaded Israel and committed mass atrocities, Hamas continued to commandeer aid, creating and taking advantage of a black market.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
1 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cruelty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cruelty. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.
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