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 film centers on a car rental company owner who accidentally witnesses a murder, making him and his family targets of a ruthless gang.
—
Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 17 Mar. 2026
Inspired by the book and 2003 Belgian film De zaak Alzheimer, the Fox psychological thriller series trades on Dempsey’s decades of goodwill as a beloved romantic lead to turn a ruthless killer into an antihero worth rooting for.
—Max Gao, HollywoodReporter, 16 Mar. 2026
This case is an egregious example of the ruthless persistence exhibited by scammers to enrich themselves at the expense of vulnerable people.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 13 Mar. 2026
Moments so ruthless can bury a goalkeeper’s confidence long-term (although Tudor’s error was not so much in replacing Kinsky as picking him in the first place).
—Phil Hay, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ruthless
Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 17 Mar. 2026
Inspired by the book and 2003 Belgian film De zaak Alzheimer, the Fox psychological thriller series trades on Dempsey’s decades of goodwill as a beloved romantic lead to turn a ruthless killer into an antihero worth rooting for.
—Max Gao, HollywoodReporter, 16 Mar. 2026
This case is an egregious example of the ruthless persistence exhibited by scammers to enrich themselves at the expense of vulnerable people.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 13 Mar. 2026
Moments so ruthless can bury a goalkeeper’s confidence long-term (although Tudor’s error was not so much in replacing Kinsky as picking him in the first place).
—Phil Hay, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ruthless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruthless
Adjective
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The end was swift and merciless.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
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And the bracket carnage was swift and merciless.—
Ryan Brennan,
Kansas City Star,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Except every movie tends to get five buckets, while the rest of their time curdles into Tim sharing too much about his personal life as Gregg stares on, his stony, Buster Keaton-like face saying nothing and everything.—
Christopher Borrelli,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Mar. 2026
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That same stony resistance stymied Henry’s next attempt at commercial success, a parasol with a snap-on cover that could be changed to match a woman’s outfit.—
Shoshi Parks,
Popular Science,
19 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ruthless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruthless. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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