as in ruthless
not guided by or showing a concern for what is right
cutthroat business practices intended to drive competitors out of business
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in assassin
a person who kills another person
while traveling the ancient Silk Road, traders were constant prey to cutthroats and thieves
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cutthroat
Andy Andersen, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2025
There was an overwhelming feeling of camaraderie in the air, unusual in the cutthroat world of real estate.
—Hadley Meares, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2025
Diane J. Cho, People.com, 25 Aug. 2025
Amid the cutthroat war for AI talent, tech giants are offering astronomical sums to lure a tiny pool of top engineers from rivals.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 9 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cutthroat
Adjective
Thanks to the airtight synchronicity between its literal value as a totem tying the Friedkens to Anna’s death, but as a symbol of the sins and circumstantial mistakes that emanate from a family broken by a cutthroat society.
—Andy Andersen, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2025
There was an overwhelming feeling of camaraderie in the air, unusual in the cutthroat world of real estate.
—Hadley Meares, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2025
Noun
The teen comedy, which premiered on Aug. 25, 2000, is about the cutthroat world of competitive cheerleading.
—Diane J. Cho, People.com, 25 Aug. 2025
Amid the cutthroat war for AI talent, tech giants are offering astronomical sums to lure a tiny pool of top engineers from rivals.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 9 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cutthroat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cutthroat
Adjective
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Their methods—ruthless melodic math, brazenly artificial production, and an odd soft spot for reggae rhythms—helped define the world-conquering sound of Britney Spears and Backstreet Boys.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
3 Oct. 2025
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To play someone whose world is so beautiful on the surface but whose secrets are ruthless has been an exhilarating challenge.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
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There, Pat, Willa, and an assassin follow one another across terrain that bucks and dips like a cartoon water hose.—
Graham Hillard,
The Washington Examiner,
3 Oct. 2025
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Are assassins like Kirk’s killer simply pathological outliers among agitated but otherwise self-restrained populations?—
Ron Barrett,
The Conversation,
2 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Unlike previous seasons, Dorothy never makes immoral choices.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
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This is disgraceful and immoral.—
Armando Garcia,
ABC News,
18 Sep. 2025
Noun
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With the Yankees having eliminated Boston on a star-making performance from hurler Cam Schlittler—the 24-year-old fanned 12 batters and issued zero free passes to first over an eight-inning stretch—MLB enters the Divisional round with a murderer’s row of top media markets in play.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
3 Oct. 2025
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Beyond Gein, the pair are already preparing a fourth season, which will feature Ella Beatty as purported axe murderer Lizzie Borden.—
Daniel D'Addario,
Variety,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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In one of many tonally jarring subplots, Vince works out a scam to burn down his dead mother’s house in Brooklyn to collect the insurance money with the help of a corrupt fire marshal.—
Andrew Bernard,
The Washington Examiner,
3 Oct. 2025
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The writer became inspired to counteract his complicity in a corrupt system.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
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After escaping the Grabber’s (Ethan Hawke) clutches and putting his killing spree to a permanent end in The Black Phone, Finney investigates a winter camp with his younger sister Gwen (Madeleine McGraw), who’s had visions of the killer stalking three young boys from beyond the grave.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
4 Oct. 2025
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That fixation would eventually draw national attention — and influence the creation of some of Hollywood’s most chilling characters, including the killer in the 1991 film The Silence of the Lambs.—
Nicole Acosta,
PEOPLE,
4 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The hourlong episode is mostly host Caleb Hammer questioning her relatively normal, if unscrupulous spending — fast food, a visit to the hair salon, expensive car payments — and his advice on what bills to pay off first.—
Rebecca Jennings,
Vulture,
30 Sep. 2025
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Facing off against an unscrupulous businessman threatening nature, Heidi’s mission blends adventure with ecological themes.—
Callum McLennan,
Variety,
22 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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In the past, that’s opened small businesses to frivolous lawsuits filed by unprincipled lawyers that file massive lawsuits and offer quick settlements.—
Erica Goldstein,
Boston Herald,
9 Sep. 2025
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Rule by ‘ambitious, and unprincipled men’ Partisanship is the primary problem for the American republic, according to Washington.—
Robert A. Strong,
The Conversation,
8 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cutthroat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cutthroat. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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