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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Months after the Southern dining chain faced fierce backlash over a controversial logo rebrand blasted by critics, Cracker Barrel is giving away free pancakes to NFL fans in a bid to win back diners.—
Peter Burke,
FOXNews.com,
5 Oct. 2025
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Since modern romance developed in the 1970s, these novels have been thoroughly ignored by highbrow critics and prestigious-award juries.—
Rebecca Ackermann,
The Atlantic,
5 Oct. 2025
Noun
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For the pessimists, Coreweave is Lucent or Nortel.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
28 Sep. 2025
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But don’t listen to the pessimists who say there is no cure.—
Christina Dugan Ramirez,
FOXNews.com,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
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While naysayers might roll their eyes at another celebrity hopping on the book club bandwagon, a recent study conducted by iScience found that the proportion of the US population who read for pleasure on an average day declined over the last 20 years.—
Emily St. Martin,
Oc Register,
24 Sep. 2025
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And our naysayers are sitting there with egg on their face.—
Chris Kirkham,
USA Today,
23 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Vaccine skeptics falsely claim that the measles vaccine causes autism, a claim repeatedly disproven by extensive scientific research.—
Suhail Bhat,
USA Today,
2 Oct. 2025
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Reviewing pages have been thinned by the forces of history and technology; few Pynchon skeptics anymore bother to take the time to read the novels and register their objections.—
Book Marks
October 2,
Literary Hub,
2 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 9 Oct. 2025.
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