as in ruthless
having or showing a lack of sympathy or tender feelings
she is a merciless competitor at board games of any kind
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Recent Examples of merciless
Many games were blowouts, allowing Faulkner to gain experience and develop a merciless attitude.
—
Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Feb. 2026
Murphy is not acting alone, however, as he’s been assigned to the journey out of a labor camp run by a merciless, tobacco-spitting boss (Russell Crowe) — and some in his merriless band turn out to be savvier, and more malicious, than others.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 29 Jan. 2026
But the Warriors, driven by the merciless ticking clock of Curry’s career, are desperate.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 28 Jan. 2026
Iran’s attorney general has vowed to pursue merciless legal action against the latter, including the death penalty.
—Hira Humayun, CNN Money, 12 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for merciless
Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Feb. 2026
Murphy is not acting alone, however, as he’s been assigned to the journey out of a labor camp run by a merciless, tobacco-spitting boss (Russell Crowe) — and some in his merriless band turn out to be savvier, and more malicious, than others.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 29 Jan. 2026
But the Warriors, driven by the merciless ticking clock of Curry’s career, are desperate.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 28 Jan. 2026
Iran’s attorney general has vowed to pursue merciless legal action against the latter, including the death penalty.
—Hira Humayun, CNN Money, 12 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for merciless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for merciless
Adjective
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Amongst the sandy plains of the Burning Springs region and throngs of raiders and ruthless cap collectors is Prime Video’s Fallout character, The Ghoul (Walton Goggins).—
Destiny Jackson,
Deadline,
26 Feb. 2026
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That’s thanks in one part to a gripping flash-forward narrative structure now so common it could be considered a cliché, and in another to Glenn Close’s indelible performance as ruthless litigator Patty Hewes.—
Matt Brennan,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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High Street began to slope upward, and the terrain became stonier around the sides of the road as Revere and his horse, Brown Beauty, ascended Rock Hill.—
Kostya Kennedy,
Time,
16 Feb. 2026
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The area is populated with stony terraces and narrow streets where bistros serve good Italian food (this being so close to the Italian border) and markets to shop for artisanal items.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Merciless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/merciless. Accessed 27 Feb. 2026.
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