as in misanthrope
a person who distrusts other people and believes that everything is done for selfish reasons
a cynic who believes that nobody does a good deed without expecting something in return
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Recent Examples of cynic
Erudite cynics like Karl Rove have written that gerrymandering has been around as long as there have been politicians and districts and that public officials invariably become inured to their own hypocrisy.
—
The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 10 Aug. 2025
But crypto companies have long maintained that digital currencies are a new, innovative financial product that needs its own set of rules — rules that critics and cynics say the crypto sector would like to shape to its advantage by spending heavily in elections.
—Rafael Nam, NPR, 19 July 2025
Gunn and Safran and all of Warner Bros can rest easy after the cynics’ snarking over the first trailer back in December.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 10 July 2025
The evergreen revolving door of oddballs and cynics populating that Manhattan arraignment court in the wee hours of the night and at the center of it all a workplace family that will forever be... until next time.
—EW.com, 19 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for cynic
The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 10 Aug. 2025
But crypto companies have long maintained that digital currencies are a new, innovative financial product that needs its own set of rules — rules that critics and cynics say the crypto sector would like to shape to its advantage by spending heavily in elections.
—Rafael Nam, NPR, 19 July 2025
Gunn and Safran and all of Warner Bros can rest easy after the cynics’ snarking over the first trailer back in December.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 10 July 2025
The evergreen revolving door of oddballs and cynics populating that Manhattan arraignment court in the wee hours of the night and at the center of it all a workplace family that will forever be... until next time.
—EW.com, 19 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for cynic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cynic
Noun
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Rosales is Trevor, Penny’s other BFF, a misanthrope who’d rather fade into the background.—
Denise Petski,
Deadline,
12 Sep. 2025
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The moment in the special is about transformation: how even an icy misanthrope can thaw with a bit of generosity and effort.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
24 July 2025
Noun
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After deep staff reductions in the spring, critics argued, in court and elsewhere, that the Education Department was not capable of carrying out its statutory functions with such a small staff.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
19 Oct. 2025
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But at least, according to Rotten Tomatoes, critics have largely awarded the film their glowing endorsements.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
19 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Worries are particularly high about companies in the artificial-intelligence industry, where pessimists see echoes of the 2000 dot-com bubble that imploded.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
13 Oct. 2025
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For the pessimists, Coreweave is Lucent or Nortel.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
28 Sep. 2025
Noun
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However, her longtime friend/vocal coach Stevie Mackey is shutting down any naysayers with a snippet of Lopez rehearsing a number from the musical, Kiss Of The Spider Woman.—
Mya Abraham,
VIBE.com,
13 Oct. 2025
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While naysayers may argue Dalio is the boy who cried wolf, his caution has paid off in the past.—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
10 Oct. 2025
Noun
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There are plenty of skeptics countering the AI hype machine, though few professional market analysts have done so as stridently as Julien Garran, a researcher and partner at the UK firm MacroStrategy Partnership.—
Allison Morrow,
CNN Money,
18 Oct. 2025
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In the weeks that followed, the secretary also removed every member of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) vaccine advisory committee, replacing them with a merry band of loyalists and skeptics.—
Eli Cahan,
Rolling Stone,
16 Oct. 2025
Video
The History of 'Cynic'
How an ancient philosophical movement devoted to the pursuit of virtue came to describe eye-rolling criticism.
Cite this Entry
“Cynic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cynic. Accessed 24 Oct. 2025.
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