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
In the years after 1991, Russians were trained cynics, having lived through Soviet decline and collapse; forcing belief would be a difficult endeavor, with an unclear upside.
—
Foreign Affairs, 21 Oct. 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
Travis Kelce knows what the cynics might think of his relationship with Taylor Swift — two of the most famous people in America just happen to match up perfectly?
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 12 Aug. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for cynic
Foreign Affairs, 21 Oct. 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
Travis Kelce knows what the cynics might think of his relationship with Taylor Swift — two of the most famous people in America just happen to match up perfectly?
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 12 Aug. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for cynic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cynic
Noun
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The Grinch Based on the iconic Dr. Seuss’s story, The Grinch follows the grouchy, green misanthrope who lives just outside Whoville and despises the town’s joyful holiday celebrations.—
Lauryn Higgins,
Parents,
22 Dec. 2025
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Gregg is identified in the press notes as a misanthrope, but the jury’s still out on that predetermined character trait.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
13 Oct. 2025
Noun
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That case also crashed and burned in court and has been seen by critics as another example of an unnecessary prosecution that hurts the DOJ’s accountability image.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
15 Feb. 2026
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Gartside tended to lead with the deconstructionist angle on his writing, and most critics seemed to take it as a given that all the lovey-dovey stuff was conceptual cleverness, a way of infiltrating pop and turning its lingua franca in on itself.—
Andy Cush,
Pitchfork,
15 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Maybe people listen to them, but the pessimist doesn’t have followers.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
31 Jan. 2026
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The pessimist would say the school can't win.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
14 Jan. 2026
Noun
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In a city full of naysayers, Brunson somehow appears to have none at all.—
Tom Kludt,
Vanity Fair,
17 Feb. 2026
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The Super Bowl is an American cultural fixture, naysayers argued, and Bad Bunny was a middle finger to a core football fan base.—
Brian McCollum,
Freep.com,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
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But skeptics like Stuart Russell increasingly apply that same framework to the age of artificial intelligence.—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
18 Feb. 2026
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Still, the ExpressVote skeptics are having an impact.—
Anthony Man,
Sun Sentinel,
15 Feb. 2026
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 21 Feb. 2026.
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