as in determined
fully committed to achieving a goal
she's hell-bent on a career in show business and heaven help anyone who gets in her way
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hell-bent (on or upon)
Adjective
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But now, with the bloodless spectacle of a button being pushed to prompt a computer to decide the league-phase fixtures, then variables for the knockouts limited to deciding which of two pre-determined teams the winners of the play-offs would face, the old way actually seems quite diverting.—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
28 Feb. 2026 -
Baylor was determined to make Miles a scorer, according to head coach Nicki Collen, and when Miles was involved in pick-and-roll action, Baylor defenders went underneath the screen and dared Miles to take jumpshots.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
28 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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McDonald, in her fourth season as head coach in Westwood, is intent on providing her athletes with direction, especially the freshmen.—
Dakayla Hawkins,
Daily News,
26 Feb. 2026
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In refusing to bow to an administration that has been intent on bullying private companies into submission, Amodei and his team are taking a bold stand on ethical grounds, and risking a censure that could erode Anthropic’s long-term viability.—
Will Gottsegen,
The Atlantic,
26 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Forced to confront this web of lies, Kanan faced an existential crisis of self-discovery and emerged stronger and more resolute than ever.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
27 Feb. 2026
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Steve Rogers grows up in Brooklyn as a puny but resolute child.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Zelenskyy has pushed for a summit with Russia's President Vladimir Putin, saying a face-to-face meeting could be decisive in unlocking an agreement, but the Kremlin has rebuffed that proposal beyond inviting the Ukrainian president to Moscow, which Zelenskyy refused.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
27 Feb. 2026
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Winter Park’s scoring and rebounding leader, 6-2 senior Will Ryan, made the decisive free throw in the final seconds.—
Buddy Collings,
The Orlando Sentinel,
26 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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After suffering defeat in the north London derby on his debut as Tottenham Hotspur interim manager, Igor Tudor must find a way to get a positive reaction out of his new players at Craven Cottage this Sunday.—
Graham Ruthven,
New York Times,
28 Feb. 2026
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Last year, Scouting America President and CEO Roger Krone acknowledged some backlash to the rebrand but described the overall response as a positive one that generated wider interest.—
Jamie Stengle,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Feb. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Hell-bent (on or upon).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hell-bent%20%28on%20or%20upon%29. Accessed 3 Mar. 2026.
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