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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cynic
The dollar amount was chosen arbitrarily based on what voters might accept, and some cynics saw it as a move by a pro-development commission to cozy up to environmentalists.
—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
9 Mar. 2026
This is not a home for doomers, cynics, or know-it-alls.
—
Daphne Koller,
Big Think,
29 Jan. 2026
The belief by cynics is that Netflix wants to be a streaming service.
—
Anthony D'alessandro,
Deadline,
26 Dec. 2025
On the other hand, skeptics and cynics tend to be insistent right now that the clean-up activity is not going to last very long.
—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cynic
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
9 Mar. 2026
This is not a home for doomers, cynics, or know-it-alls.
—
Daphne Koller,
Big Think,
29 Jan. 2026
The belief by cynics is that Netflix wants to be a streaming service.
—
Anthony D'alessandro,
Deadline,
26 Dec. 2025
On the other hand, skeptics and cynics tend to be insistent right now that the clean-up activity is not going to last very long.
—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cynic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cynic
Noun
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Still, this misanthrope takes somewhat of a liking to Fiona (Florence Ordesh), the woman who shows him to his room and tends the hotel bar.
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The story follows a rag-tag group of misanthropes who attempt to rob jewels from the Vatican.
Noun
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Chait narrowly averted a three-union strike in April with agreements that restored labor peace — but left critics questioning whether the school system could afford the pact, and whether Carvalho would have held out for a more affordable deal.
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Saturday’s result in Kansas City — along with Cape Verde’s scoreless tie against Spain — may silence critics.
Noun
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That is a hard thing to live with—but, the pessimist would answer, who thought life was supposed to be easy?
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As late as August 2007, the Federal Reserve was skeptical of such bubble talk, while Grantham was dismissed as a pessimist, a dismissal that soon proved mistaken.
Noun
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Whatever a naysayer of the sport in this country wants to say about it, professional soccer and expectations for the national teams are part of the American sports culture now.
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Forbes Senior Contributor David Nikel was among the cruise naysayers before setting sail on his first voyage.
Noun
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The health of the soil microbiome, the influence of lunar cycles on the plant’s sap, the energy that passes between the vine and its ecosystem—none of this can be seen, measured in a conventional laboratory or proven to a skeptic in 10 minutes.
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Slate, which also makes an electric SUV, is betting that its low price point can win over EV skeptics.
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 28 Jun. 2026.
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