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
Colt Gray, who was 14 years old at the time of the shooting, faces 29 counts, including two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of involuntary manslaughter and numerous counts of second-degree cruelty to children related to the shooting.
—
Jeff Martin, Los Angeles Times, 17 Feb. 2026
Most miniseries versions of Wuthering Heights try to take in the full breadth of Brontë’s story, showing Heathcliff’s later cruelty.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 16 Feb. 2026
Colin Gray was subsequently charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of second-degree murder and eight counts of cruelty to children.
—Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 16 Feb. 2026
Criticisms about contestants’ looks from Banks and her judges ran the gamut in their cruelty.
—Hunter Lacey, Allure, 16 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cruelty
Jeff Martin, Los Angeles Times, 17 Feb. 2026
Most miniseries versions of Wuthering Heights try to take in the full breadth of Brontë’s story, showing Heathcliff’s later cruelty.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 16 Feb. 2026
Colin Gray was subsequently charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of second-degree murder and eight counts of cruelty to children.
—Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 16 Feb. 2026
Criticisms about contestants’ looks from Banks and her judges ran the gamut in their cruelty.
—Hunter Lacey, Allure, 16 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cruelty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cruelty
Noun
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District Judge Dayna Blazey delivered the ruling before a packed courtroom, closing a dark chapter for the men, their families and a city long haunted by the brutality of the crime.—
Greg Wehner,
FOXNews.com,
20 Feb. 2026
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The declaration was aimed at closing a dark chapter for the men and their families, and for a city that was shaken by the brutality of the crime and investigators' inability to solve it for decades.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The family is known for murdering its own members, planning atrocities with wildfire, and generally unleashing a draconian rage on the commoners of Westeros.—
James Grebey,
Vulture,
23 Feb. 2026
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It was created in 1995 in the aftermath of mass atrocities in Rwanda, Somalia and Bosnia.—
John T. Shaw,
Chicago Tribune,
23 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cruelty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cruelty. Accessed 24 Feb. 2026.
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