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
The 22nd Amendment was written precisely to prevent this scenario—to ensure that no man, however popular or ruthless, could hold the republic hostage and affect billions with temper tantrums ad infinitum.
—
Dan Perry, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025
The ruthless killings and dark creature designs in Bloodlust are chilling to watch, and with a story set almost entirely at night, its environments feel especially dour, atmospheric, and inventively dangerous (for example, the ninjalike enemy who strikes at D through shadows).
—Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2025
Part of the threat that these men posed was their ability to speak like reasonable politicians while effectively running a ruthless terrorist campaign.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 29 Oct. 2025
It was hatched toward the end of the 16th century, when Spain had been on a century-long winning streak of divine luck and ruthless efficiency.
—Big Think, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ruthless
Dan Perry, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025
The ruthless killings and dark creature designs in Bloodlust are chilling to watch, and with a story set almost entirely at night, its environments feel especially dour, atmospheric, and inventively dangerous (for example, the ninjalike enemy who strikes at D through shadows).
—Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2025
Part of the threat that these men posed was their ability to speak like reasonable politicians while effectively running a ruthless terrorist campaign.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 29 Oct. 2025
It was hatched toward the end of the 16th century, when Spain had been on a century-long winning streak of divine luck and ruthless efficiency.
—Big Think, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ruthless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruthless
Adjective
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Following the deaths of his brother William (Felix Kammerer) and his sister-in-law Elizabeth (Mia Goth), Victor vows vengeance on the Creature and dedicates the rest of his life to a merciless pursuit of him.—
Yasmeen Hamadeh,
PEOPLE,
7 Nov. 2025
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The book, which is from Australia, follows Bee and her fellow runaways, who discover a new friend, Paco, is a Lost Boy from Neverland who needs them to fight hordes of pirates led by a merciless new leader.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
4 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Needless to say, the sanctions, Trump’s criticism of Putin and the cancelation of in-person talks, elicited a stony silence from Moscow on Thursday.—
Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
23 Oct. 2025
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Madewell Crewneck Cutaway Vest A stony tan vest might just be the sleeper hit of the season.—
Rosie Marder,
Travel + Leisure,
18 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ruthless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruthless. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.
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