CUTTHROAT Synonyms: 59 Similar and Opposite Words

cutthroat 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of cutthroat

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

cutthroat

2 of 2

noun

ˈkət-ˌthrōt

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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of cutthroat

Adjective

Netflix says the competition will unfold as a large‑scale social experiment, blending strategy, alliances and cutthroat gameplay. — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 14 July 2026 But Rosales said that tradition was fading, possibly another casualty of a more cutthroat political climate. — Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 26 June 2026

Noun

Knowing the history of the cutthroat beer wars of the past is required to understand King Snedley’s unexpected appearance. — Bill Swank, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 June 2026 The show, which follows the cutthroat lives of luxury real estate agents at The Oppenheim Group in Los Angeles, first premiered in 2019. — Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 6 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for cutthroat

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cutthroat

Adjective

With her Demonic transformation, Rauch added a whole new shade of dark to Big Bang alums’ returns for the spinoff, following Kaley Cuoco’s ruthless Penny in Episode 2 and Kunal Nayyar’s deeply depressed Raj in Episode 1.

— Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 6 Aug. 2026
Through remarkable archival footage and an incredible range of interviews, Monsters of God digs into the egotistical and ruthless mentalities that supported competing criminal empires and the undercover operations that dismantled them.

— Rory Doherty, Time, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of ruthless

Noun

Created by Tessa Coates, Ride or Die is a spy action comedy about an assassin, Judith (Waddingham) whose latest case inadvertently involves her best friend of more than 20 years, Debbie (Spencer), a politician’s wife.

— Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 4 Aug. 2026
This show loves nothing more this season than to introduce a potential assassin and promptly thwart his plan via blade to the head or neck.

— Brian Grubb, Vulture, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of assassin

Noun

Fleming remains in the fold at Universal after being tapped for a role alongside a murderer’s row of fellow comics in the Judd Apatow-Glen Powell comedy The Comeback King, out February 5.

— Matt Grobar, Deadline, 31 July 2026
In the somewhat convoluted progress of Mitchell’s script, their ego war is eventually eclipsed by fears there’s a genuine murderer on the loose — perhaps even an actual vampire.

— Dennis Harvey, Variety, 31 July 2026

Definition of murderer

Adjective

His new documentary takes on the cryptocurrency industry, portraying the controversial digital currency as corrupt and in dire need of more regulations.

— Brent Lang, Variety, 3 Aug. 2026
At its core, the crime known as huachicol fiscal is a vast tax evasion scheme centered on falsified paperwork — and corrupt officials.

— Foreign Correspondent, Los Angeles Times, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of corrupt

Noun

Before Salguero-Olivares was charged, Hedgepeth’s mother, Connie Hedgepeth, spoke exclusively to PEOPLE about her hopes for the case and her daughter’s killer.

— Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 4 Aug. 2026
The district attorney who put the killer behind bars for the rest of his life and won an unprecedented murder conviction against his father, agreed.

— Isabel Rosales, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2026

Definition of killer

Adjective

True to form, the story is narrated by an unscrupulous wanna-be novelist named Bret Easton Ellis (Igby Rigney), a closet case lusting away for the new hunk at his cruel prep school.

— Randy Myers, Mercury News, 5 Aug. 2026
Both Washington and Mexico City have launched crackdowns against a complex web of unscrupulous functionaries, front companies and document fraudsters, among others.

— Foreign Correspondent, Los Angeles Times, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of unscrupulous

Cite this Entry

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“Cutthroat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cutthroat. Accessed 8 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of cutthroat

adjective

noun

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