as in merciless
having or showing a lack of sympathy or tender feelings
an office supervisor with a ruthless disregard for others' feelings
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Recent Examples of ruthless
Achieving early-retirement largesse requires burning through a brief and ruthless career that brings all the intensity of a season of Industry without any of the fun.
—
Joshua Rivera, Vanity Fair, 8 June 2026
The ruthless tabloid press was quick to stir up controversy.
—Sheena McKenzie, CNN Money, 7 June 2026
Pivoting effortlessly from family man to ruthless felon, Cranston once again puts his acting range on full display, with a nuanced performance that is underscored by the knowledge that the slightest misstep could cost him — and his family — their lives.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 6 June 2026
Leto stars as the villain Skeletor, who has seized the throne of He-Man’s home world, ruling it with a ruthless, oppressive force.
—Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 6 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for ruthless
Joshua Rivera, Vanity Fair, 8 June 2026
The ruthless tabloid press was quick to stir up controversy.
—Sheena McKenzie, CNN Money, 7 June 2026
Pivoting effortlessly from family man to ruthless felon, Cranston once again puts his acting range on full display, with a nuanced performance that is underscored by the knowledge that the slightest misstep could cost him — and his family — their lives.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 6 June 2026
Leto stars as the villain Skeletor, who has seized the throne of He-Man’s home world, ruling it with a ruthless, oppressive force.
—Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 6 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for ruthless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruthless
Adjective
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Having catalogued the Black Death’s horrifying effects, Ibn Khatima went on to outline a series of preventative measures and active treatments designed to combat this merciless scourge.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 May 2026
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The jokes on social media will be endless, and opposing fans will be merciless.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
20 May 2026
Adjective
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Oscar Wilde, for example, reposes beneath a hulking deity whose iconoclastic castration, back in 1961, did little to restrain pilgrims seeking to smear red lips across his stony physique.—
Emily Cox,
ARTnews.com,
22 May 2026
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Instead of looking like a sleek urban loft, the room can quickly start to feel cold, stony, and impersonal.—
Natasha Bazika,
Martha Stewart,
9 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ruthless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruthless. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
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