as in critics
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 cynics
Not everyone is happy about this apparently, as large portions of cynics and haters on social media are apparently ready to say auf wiedersehen to Freddy.
—
Austin Perry Outkick,
FOXNews.com,
30 June 2026
At a time when British independent film continues to struggle, this feature is keeping the cynics at bay.
—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
29 June 2026
Naturally, the cynics will want to naysay.
—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
17 June 2026
And, though a lot of cynics will try to convince you otherwise, that’s perfectly OK.
—
Michael Silver,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
Of course, cynics would say this is an easy way to get laughs, but Galifianakis’ quick wit ensures the unfiltered youngsters don’t always take center stage.
—
Jon O'Brien,
IndieWire,
22 Apr. 2026
The cynics are figures like Sam Bankman-Fried, who built a fortune off of a crypto exchange called FTX, which crashed and burned in the fall of 2022, eventually sending Bankman-Fried to prison for fraud.
—
Jack Crosbie,
Rolling Stone,
7 Apr. 2026
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
Austin Perry Outkick,
FOXNews.com,
30 June 2026
At a time when British independent film continues to struggle, this feature is keeping the cynics at bay.
—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
29 June 2026
Naturally, the cynics will want to naysay.
—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
17 June 2026
And, though a lot of cynics will try to convince you otherwise, that’s perfectly OK.
—
Michael Silver,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
Of course, cynics would say this is an easy way to get laughs, but Galifianakis’ quick wit ensures the unfiltered youngsters don’t always take center stage.
—
Jon O'Brien,
IndieWire,
22 Apr. 2026
The cynics are figures like Sam Bankman-Fried, who built a fortune off of a crypto exchange called FTX, which crashed and burned in the fall of 2022, eventually sending Bankman-Fried to prison for fraud.
—
Jack Crosbie,
Rolling Stone,
7 Apr. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cynics
Noun
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Some critics contend that changes to both the structure of the energy industry and transmission systems make an incentive unnecessary.
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Some critics on social media counter that the gatherings risk turning spirituality into spectacle, performance and commodity all at once.
Noun
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At that time, naysayers and print-first advocates believed that books on audio would weaken the already shaky book publishing industry.
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Dismissed by some as a publicity stunt, the crew proved the naysayers wrong, becoming a formidable presence and a powerful emblem of change.
Noun
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Steel yourself; the pessimists will have gravitas.
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January’s 130,000 gain quieted the pessimists, proving that the labor market had found a floor.
Noun
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The story follows a rag-tag group of misanthropes who attempt to rob jewels from the Vatican.
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Clavicular is the poster child—though by no means the most extreme representative—of the looksmaxxing movement, the latest permutation of an ideology developed by too online misogynist misanthropes in the twenty-tens.
Cite this Entry
“Cynics.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cynics. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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