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
What makes Becky Shaw so fulfilling is its cynicism about love and its ruthless method of hurling those frustrations at its audience.
—
Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Apr. 2026
Even Maul, despite his ruthless methods, recognizes the need to fight the bigger evil in the Empire.
—Rafael Motamayor, IndieWire, 6 Apr. 2026
People have strong feelings and strong opinions to-day, to an almost ruthless degree.
—Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 3 Apr. 2026
Others think Davie’s ruthless headcount reductions led to a brain drain, which in turn precipitated editorial errors that ultimately led to his resignation.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ruthless
Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Apr. 2026
Even Maul, despite his ruthless methods, recognizes the need to fight the bigger evil in the Empire.
—Rafael Motamayor, IndieWire, 6 Apr. 2026
People have strong feelings and strong opinions to-day, to an almost ruthless degree.
—Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 3 Apr. 2026
Others think Davie’s ruthless headcount reductions led to a brain drain, which in turn precipitated editorial errors that ultimately led to his resignation.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ruthless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruthless
Adjective
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But in the shadows, amid growing unease at the bloodthirsty actions of the realm’s merciless Mad King, dissenters from his inner circle anxiously advance a treasonous plot.—
Ryan Brennan
April 3,
Charlotte Observer,
3 Apr. 2026
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The end was swift and merciless.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
29 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 13 Apr. 2026.
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