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
But scientists, too, ought to be honest with themselves about why the cruelty of animal experimentation has been so effectively weaponized for anti-science populism.
—
Marina Bolotnikova, Vox, 18 June 2025
For America, the swimming pool is also an archetypal segregationist site of historical cruelty and exclusion.
—Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 16 June 2025
They’re being preyed upon by institutions who want to turn their naïveté into cruelty.
—Peter White, Deadline, 13 June 2025
But by holding the threat of losing access to your grandchildren over you, your kids are showing an unnecessary amount of cruelty to people (you) who don’t deserve it.
—Eric Thomas, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for cruelty
Marina Bolotnikova, Vox, 18 June 2025
For America, the swimming pool is also an archetypal segregationist site of historical cruelty and exclusion.
—Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 16 June 2025
They’re being preyed upon by institutions who want to turn their naïveté into cruelty.
—Peter White, Deadline, 13 June 2025
But by holding the threat of losing access to your grandchildren over you, your kids are showing an unnecessary amount of cruelty to people (you) who don’t deserve it.
—Eric Thomas, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for cruelty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cruelty
Noun
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Pellegrino does get into the brutality of the Japanese forces.—
Mike Fleming Jr,
Deadline,
27 June 2025
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Yet, in the nearly two years since then, the brutality and intensity of Israel’s military campaign in the Gaza Strip have mobilized opposition around the world.—
Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib,
The Atlantic,
26 June 2025
Noun
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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
Cite this Entry
“Cruelty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cruelty. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
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