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
Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 16 May 2025
Complicating this debate is a lack of reliable data on how prevalent trans athletes are, whether in recreational youth sports or in cutthroat international competition.
—Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 29 May 2025
Corey Buhay, Outside Online, 2 June 2025
Three of those—disrespect, cutthroat norms and abuse—are direct byproducts of low-tact leadership.
—Justin Patton, Forbes.com, 25 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for cutthroat
Adjective
For Miller, who has garnered rave reviews for her portrayal of the cutthroat drug lord, the emotional impact of that final scene will stick with her for a long time.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 16 May 2025
Complicating this debate is a lack of reliable data on how prevalent trans athletes are, whether in recreational youth sports or in cutthroat international competition.
—Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 29 May 2025
Noun
Lake trout are abundant here, but patient anglers can still bag a decent-size cutthroat.
—Corey Buhay, Outside Online, 2 June 2025
Three of those—disrespect, cutthroat norms and abuse—are direct byproducts of low-tact leadership.
—Justin Patton, Forbes.com, 25 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for cutthroat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cutthroat
Adjective
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Son Hee is one half of a ruthless twin assassin duo, working alongside his brother Bacho.—
Allison DeGrushe Published,
EW.com,
14 July 2025
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Her 6-0, 6-0 rout at the hands of a ruthless Iga Świątek was a reminder that no sport is more psychologically brutal than tennis.—
Charlie Eccleshare,
New York Times,
12 July 2025
Noun
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PlayStation 5 Games Deals The Assassin's Creed franchise has been a staple in gaming consoles for nearly 20 years now, and Shadows, the latest iteration, furthers that tradition with a game that puts players behind Naoe, a shinobi assassin, and Yasuke, a legendary samurai.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
11 July 2025
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The details of how these would-be assassins got so close are still shrouded in mystery.—
Jenny Goldsberry,
The Washington Examiner,
10 July 2025
Adjective
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The Mann Act, also known as the White-Slave Traffic Act of 1910, is a federal law that prohibits the interstate or foreign transportation of individuals for prostitution or other immoral activities.—
KiMi Robinson,
USA Today,
3 July 2025
-
Swaggart, in July 1986, had accused a megachurch rival, New Orleans First Assembly of God Pastor Marvin Gorman, of committing immoral acts with a number of women over a period of years.—
Frank E. Lockwood,
Arkansas Online,
1 July 2025
Noun
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Based on true events, the Gorgona Island prison, 34 miles off the Pacific coast, was once one of the most brutal of tropical penitentiary for murderers, rapists and political prisoners, notorious for its use of torture.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
15 July 2025
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Adolescence has continued to wow audiences as the show’s 15-year-old star, Owen Cooper, has landed a 2025 Emmy nomination for his role of teen murderer Jamie Miller.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
15 July 2025
Adjective
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Rachel and Ray need to go on the run after Ray’s investigation into a corrupt pharmaceutical executive puts their live in peril.—
Tim Lammers,
Forbes.com,
11 July 2025
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And then reality crashes down around them in a series of scenes that expose the cruel hypocrisy of Iran’s corrupt system (which purports to uphold morality, but allows men in positions of authority to indulge themselves in egregious ways).—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
11 July 2025
Noun
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The slasher universe began its feature journey in 2016 with Terrifier, but its leading serial killer appeared in several of Leone’s short films dating back to 2008.—
Abbey White,
HollywoodReporter,
10 July 2025
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The original Dexter series — which followed Dexter Morgan (Hall), a vigilante serial killer who uses skills as a forensic technician with the Miami Metro Police Department to meticulously rid society of heinous criminals — ran from 2006 to 2013.—
Tim Lammers,
Forbes.com,
10 July 2025
Adjective
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President Donald Trump used a term regarded as an antisemitic slur when referring to unscrupulous bankers during a speech on Thursday.—
Khaleda Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 July 2025
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The Essex picks up the family’s mayday signal, and while Martin — gradually revealed to be the usual unscrupulous corporate creep — insists on sticking to their extraction mission, not getting sidetracked with search and rescue, he’s overruled by the others.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
30 June 2025
Adjective
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But she's also taken positions that her critics have found inconsistent and unprincipled.—
Devin Dwyer,
ABC News,
25 June 2025
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The notorious Sackler family, opioid pushers responsible for countless cases of addiction and death, can’t seem to settle their legal problems without turning to some kind of unprincipled maneuver.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cutthroat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cutthroat. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
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