as in ruthless
not guided by or showing a concern for what is right
cutthroat business practices intended to drive competitors out of business
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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cutthroat
Semafor Events, semafor.com, 24 Apr. 2026
Major Chinese industries have been plagued by overcapacity in recent years, which has given rise to cutthroat price competition that has put deflationary pressure on the economy.
—John Liu, CNN Money, 16 Apr. 2026
Erin Tan, NBC news, 4 Apr. 2026
The state support that helped China become the global leader in affordable EVs has also created a cutthroat landscape for its homegrown carmakers, many of which are now struggling to survive in an oversupplied market.
—Stephanie Yang, CNN Money, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cutthroat
Adjective
European carmakers lose premium brand status in China European carmakers are losing their premium brand status in China, as younger consumers opt for cars from domestic brands, further eroding Western firms’ prospects in a cutthroat global market.
—Semafor Events, semafor.com, 24 Apr. 2026
Major Chinese industries have been plagued by overcapacity in recent years, which has given rise to cutthroat price competition that has put deflationary pressure on the economy.
—John Liu, CNN Money, 16 Apr. 2026
Noun
Young people in China face a cutthroat job market and are trying to stay competitive amid slowing economic growth.
—Erin Tan, NBC news, 4 Apr. 2026
The state support that helped China become the global leader in affordable EVs has also created a cutthroat landscape for its homegrown carmakers, many of which are now struggling to survive in an oversupplied market.
—Stephanie Yang, CNN Money, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cutthroat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cutthroat
Adjective
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Sure, he’s driven by vengeance and ruthless in his pursuit, but — without spoiling anything — his motivation is clouded at best, misplaced at worst.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Michael’s brother Sonny (James Caan) becomes the de facto crime boss as the Corleones prosecute a turf war against their rivals, and Michael eventually emerges as the new, and much more ruthless boss, much to the horror of his wife, Kay (Diane Keaton).—
David Faris,
TheWeek,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
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But now, Williams is facing a felony charge after participating in senior assassin, a popular tag-style game where teens hunt down their opponents with Nerf and water guns.—
Rebecca Johnson,
Chicago Tribune,
2 May 2026
-
That’s not to say that a background check would have flagged Allen as a potential presidential assassin.—
Leonard Greene,
New York Daily News,
2 May 2026
Adjective
-
Each side views members of the other party not as merely having a different view on politics but rather as evil or immoral.—
James Piazza,
Twin Cities,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Pope Francis changed the church’s social teaching to declare capital punishment immoral in all cases.—
Nicole Winfield,
Fortune,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The comedy is instead more deadpan, with Rhys playing the flustered straight man against a (sometimes literal) murderer’s row of ensemble members and guest stars.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
29 Apr. 2026
-
And though the local history museum is nothing but artifacts of atrocities (old newspaper report of cannibalism, a murderer’s mask), only Wyck (Stephen Root, great as always) sees anything paranormal in it, and he’s generally written off as a drunk.—
Television Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Other methods of sneaking contraband into a prison include throwing it over a facility’s fence, coordinating through the mail and, in some cases, involving corrupt corrections officers.—
Taylor Galgano,
CNN Money,
3 May 2026
-
Assessor Gus Kramer stayed in office when a jury deadlocked on a civil grand jury accusation of willful or corrupt misconduct in office.—
East Bay Times editorial,
Mercury News,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The person who had called in the incident identified Sweeney, who was still there, as her killer.—
Theresa Braine,
New York Daily News,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Pull weeds from clover by hand—avoid weed killers.—
Lee Wallender,
The Spruce,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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In addition to the Tribune, a local reporting prize was also awarded to the Connecticut Mirror and ProPublica for a series on unscrupulous towing companies.—
Robert Channick,
Chicago Tribune,
4 May 2026
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One award was given to reporters from The Connecticut Mirror, a local news website, and reporters from ProPublica, who were recognized for their series on unscrupulous car-towing companies.—
Neda Ulaby,
NPR,
4 May 2026
Adjective
-
Practically all the public’s attention has been on the president and his oddball or vengeful or unprincipled actions.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Apr. 2026
-
How pathetically far this blithering, unprincipled piece of trash has gone to endanger other lives, to expressly distract and deflect from his own wicked deeds, and to further benefit his grifting family’s larcenously enlarged bounties.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
8 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cutthroat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cutthroat. Accessed 6 May. 2026.
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