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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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

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Example Sentences

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Recent Examples of cutthroat

Adjective

Even on cutthroat Wall Street, Blackstone’s president tells Gen Z that just being nice could land them a promotion. — Kristin Stoller, Fortune, 20 July 2026 But that doesn’t necessarily translate to cutthroat competition within the psychedelics sector, Tsai said. — Bob Woods, CNBC, 19 July 2026

Noun

Coming off a cutthroat season that drew the most viewers back to the program in a decade, the competition coming this fall is already gearing up to be one for the books. — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 18 June 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for cutthroat

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cutthroat

Adjective

Once the ruthless commander of Bosnian Serb forces, Mladic oversaw the siege of Sarajevo, mass killings and the 1995 Srebrenica massacre that left more than 8,000 Muslim men and boys dead.

— Jovana Gec, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026
The rest would kill her just for being her mother’s daughter, like Xaden Riorson, the most powerful and ruthless wingleader in the Riders Quadrant.

— Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of ruthless

Noun

The would-be assassin was arrested by police and led investigators to two members of a Russian mob network who had enlisted him on behalf of Iran.

— Cora Engelbrecht, New Yorker, 24 Aug. 2026
Bannerman centers on the eponymous Paul Bannerman, a lethal covert operative who convinces a group of the world’s most deadly assassins to quit the spy game for a chance to lead normal lives in the suburbs of Connecticut.

— Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of assassin

Noun

Triple-murderer Erin Patterson appealed her convictions Wednesday for poisoning four of her estranged husband’s relatives with death cap mushrooms.

— ABC News, ABC News, 18 Aug. 2026
If the murderer was at the door, the truth must nonetheless be told, whatever the consequences.

— Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of murderer

Adjective

Postwar Germany ran a denazification program, for example, while recent elections in Ukraine ousted corrupt, pro-Moscow leaders.

— The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 24 Aug. 2026
Christian pleaded guilty in New Haven Superior Court to violating the corrupt organizations and racketeering act and conspiracy to commit first-degree larceny, the DCJ said.

— Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of corrupt

Adjective

The stark truth is that unscrupulous athletic departments, sports agents, and conferences will slow roll and stonewall following the rules.

— U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Hartford Courant, 24 Aug. 2026
Haroon said early examples were often crude, produced cheaply by struggling artists working for unscrupulous dealers.

— Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 19 Aug. 2026