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hurtfully

adverb

as in cruelly

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hurtfully
  1. cruelly
  2. harshly
  3. sharply
  4. severely
  5. ill
  6. acutely
  7. poignantly
  8. piercingly
Adverb
  • And, if Barisone was psychotically deluded, how was the jury meant to understand the defense’s central framing, which was that Kanarek had cruelly tried to harm Barisone?
    — Ian Parker, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Hansen can be cruelly mocking towards his oft-flustered but extremely professional producer Andie Bender (an astonishingly good Merritt Wever).
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of cruelly
Adverb
  • Trump harshly criticized Warsh's predecessor, Jerome Powell, for not cutting rates quickly enough.
    — DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE STAFFFROM WIRE REPORTS, Arkansas Online, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Real Betis forward Abde Ezzalzouli, who plays for Morocco, was harshly criticized by some Moroccan fans on social media when images of him wearing the shirt in support of Ceuta began to circulate.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of harshly
Adverb
  • Prices have surged more than 20% this month as fighting has sharply escalated in the Persian Gulf.
    — Spencer Kimball,Justina Lee, CNBC, 15 Sep. 2026
  • The national average for regular gasoline has risen sharply over the past week, while California prices have climbed back to about $6 per gallon, according to AAA.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of sharply
Adverb
  • After months of suspension because of fighting, UNIFIL has resumed some of its non-military activities, providing basic medical assistance in areas where access remains severely restricted.
    — Diego Ibarra Sánchez, NPR, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Last week, McClatchy newsrooms were cut severely, leaving fewer journalists than ever to cover the fast-growing hubs of the Central Valley.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of severely
Adverb
  • That evening, the household, with the exception of Lizzie, fell ill again after eating mutton stew.
    — Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Nothing ruins an outfit faster than an ill-fitting bra, which is why this V-neck option caught our eye.
    — Jacqueline Tempera, PEOPLE, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of ill
Adverb
  • The apocalyptic fears boiling up in the play are perhaps even more acutely felt today, with the ravages of climate change compounding each year and the threat of AI hanging an existential cloud over our heads.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Rådström remains acutely aware of the company’s 130 years of history.
    — Sam Forsdick, Fortune, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of acutely
Adverb
  • The comparisons between that movie and Elsinore, what with all the Hamlet being performed and poignantly referring back to our characters’ circumstances, have been impossible to ignore.
    — Joe Reid, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026
  • That’s a process that can help clarify thoughts, but knowing that no one was behind the dialogue, that the empathy was a technique and not a presence, left me with a sense of being poignantly unheard.
    — Steven Barrie-Anthony, The Atlantic, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of poignantly
Adverb
  • As money hijacks morality and democracy begins to look like a hoax, Tresnjak’s Broadway-caliber staging contrasts garish spectacle with piercingly intimate scenes between Claire and Anton.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Chef Steven Pham is still simmering his signature Northern Vietnamese-style pho ga, which features a soul-piercingly clear broth, tender poached chicken, rice noodles, and a floating raft of fresh herbs.
    — Becky Duffett, Bon Appetit Magazine, 8 June 2026
Definition of piercingly
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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hurtful
hurtfully
hurting
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Cite this Entry

“Hurtfully.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hurtfully. Accessed 22 Sep. 2026.

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