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

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

But Rosales said that tradition was fading, possibly another casualty of a more cutthroat political climate. — Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 26 June 2026 These teams then acted in cutthroat ways to buy out or otherwise dump them, however, when their play declined. — James Mirtle, New York Times, 23 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

Models are ruthless in their pursuit of a goal, sometimes taking disastrous shortcuts.

— Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 22 July 2026
Ticketing was a ruthless game of revenue maximization, and the final became a stage for Madonna and Justin Bieber.

— Henry Bushnell, New York Times, 21 July 2026

Definition of ruthless

Noun

By the time Cameron came up with the idea for The Terminator — about a robot assassin sent back in time to kill the mother of humanity’s unborn savior — Wisher was growing more interested in screenwriting.

— Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 21 July 2026
Their characters — a notorious assassin and a lawyer — race across Europe, balancing brutal fights and a messy, decades-long friendship.

— Emily Zemler, Los Angeles Times, 16 July 2026

Definition of assassin

Adjective

Some rabbinic readings attribute Lot’s hesitation to leave Sodom to his immoral greed and inordinate wealth.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 July 2026
Court records show that 60-year-old Bradley Kyle Martin, of Dearborn Heights, is charged with using a computer or internet to communicate with another person to commit a crime and accosting children for immoral purposes.

— DeJanay Booth-Singleton, CBS News, 25 June 2026

Definition of immoral

Noun

This psychological thriller stars Guy Pearce as Leonard Shelby, a man with anterograde amnesia struggling to track down his wife’s murderer using a system of tattoos and notes.

— Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026
The voice cast is a murderer's row of famous Australians, including Sarah Snook, Eric Bana, and Nick Cave.

— Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 1 July 2026

Definition of murderer

Noun

Outside of learning about ancient concentration camps and historic serial killers while Phaedra beams, the moment without Porsha serves as a Hail Mary pass for Shamea to try to salvage some of the damage from the night before.

— Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 20 July 2026
This matters because sarcopenia (loss of muscle mass) and osteoporosis are silent killers of healthspan.

— Jesse Pines, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026

Definition of killer

Adjective

However, a power of attorney can also allow an unscrupulous person to take advantage of you by moving money into his own account, paying his own bills, making cash withdrawals, or selling your real estate.

— Christine Fletcher, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
The fire killed 168 people, most likely because of unscrupulous contractors who used shoddy materials.

— New York Times, New York Times, 20 July 2026

Definition of unscrupulous

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“Cutthroat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cutthroat. Accessed 25 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of cutthroat

adjective

noun

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