as in mercilessly
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Recent Examples of ruthlessly
With his rakish sneer and ruthlessly tight jodhpurs, Rupert has been thoroughly neutered with irony, transformed into an object for women to pick at.
—
Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 10 June 2026
Unfortunately, Angelus finds out and ruthlessly snaps her neck, smashing the orb for good measure.
—ArsTechnica, 7 June 2026
Paul Breitner quickly equalised from the spot for the West Germans and then, just before half-time, Muller struck ruthlessly after controlling a cutback.
—Will Jeanes, New York Times, 5 June 2026
Here are six times Hannah and Paige ruthlessly roasted each other's fashion faux pas.
—Caroline Killilea, PEOPLE, 3 June 2026
Sometimes that means honoring the past; sometimes that means ruthlessly hitting reset with a lively new Bond for our modern times (the game even features tension over AI).
—Jordan Minor, PC Magazine, 1 June 2026
Lukashenko ruthlessly cracked down on protests in the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election, a vote widely seen as rigged in his favor, in which officials declared Lukashenko received more than 80% of the vote.
—Yuliya Talmazan, NBC news, 30 May 2026
Tire management has improved dramatically since the opening rounds, while his qualifying performances have become ruthlessly consistent.
—Peter Lyon, Forbes.com, 25 May 2026
The game plan Chicago drew up on Wednesday was simple, almost ruthlessly so.
—Nathan Canilao, Mercury News, 14 May 2026
Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 10 June 2026
Unfortunately, Angelus finds out and ruthlessly snaps her neck, smashing the orb for good measure.
—ArsTechnica, 7 June 2026
Paul Breitner quickly equalised from the spot for the West Germans and then, just before half-time, Muller struck ruthlessly after controlling a cutback.
—Will Jeanes, New York Times, 5 June 2026
Here are six times Hannah and Paige ruthlessly roasted each other's fashion faux pas.
—Caroline Killilea, PEOPLE, 3 June 2026
Sometimes that means honoring the past; sometimes that means ruthlessly hitting reset with a lively new Bond for our modern times (the game even features tension over AI).
—Jordan Minor, PC Magazine, 1 June 2026
Lukashenko ruthlessly cracked down on protests in the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election, a vote widely seen as rigged in his favor, in which officials declared Lukashenko received more than 80% of the vote.
—Yuliya Talmazan, NBC news, 30 May 2026
Tire management has improved dramatically since the opening rounds, while his qualifying performances have become ruthlessly consistent.
—Peter Lyon, Forbes.com, 25 May 2026
The game plan Chicago drew up on Wednesday was simple, almost ruthlessly so.
—Nathan Canilao, Mercury News, 14 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruthlessly
Adverb
-
Some commentators’ dark horses for the tournament, Norway qualified from Europe with a perfect record, pillaging goals at will, while mercilessly dispatching opponents.—
Jonathan Thompson,
Travel + Leisure,
10 June 2026
-
The parody would begin with Oteri's Gail Hailstorm, a riff on Courteney Cox's mercilessly ambitious reporter Gale Weathers in the Scream franchise.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 June 2026
Adverb
-
The first hour, set at a resort that’s like a singles cruise through the Twilight Zone (or Bachelor in Paradise beamed in from a brutal alternate universe), contains some of the most pitilessly funny scenes of the filmmaker’s career.—
A.A. Dowd,
Vulture,
24 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
Victim Nyron Shaw’s father said the driver who mowed his son down last year in Ocean Hill a day before Independence Day should face the maximum penalty for allegedly driving twice the speed limit and heartlessly taking off, leaving his son to die.—
Nicholas Williams,
New York Daily News,
8 Apr. 2026
-
In the process, Joel heartlessly killed some innocent people, including medical professionals.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
26 Aug. 2025
Adverb
-
Any party member who seeks to defy his wishes risks losing a seat, being unmercifully gaslit, or trashed on Truth Social.—
Rob Crilly,
The Washington Examiner,
22 May 2026
-
Now my son is dead after suffering unmercifully.—
Rick Sobey,
Boston Herald,
6 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
The department was known to operate callously, firing people by email or locking them out of buildings.—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
10 June 2026
-
Altman accused of making ChatGPT unsafe The lawsuit joins prior suits accusing Altman of callously deploying AI systems without regard for user safety.—
Ashley Belanger,
ArsTechnica,
1 June 2026
Adverb
-
Kahlo vibrantly and unsparingly depicted herself and events from her life, which was upended by a bus accident at 18.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
30 Nov. 2025
-
Kahlo vibrantly and unsparingly depicted herself and events from her life, which was upended by a bus accident at 18.—
Hannah Schoenbaum,
Fortune,
24 Nov. 2025
Adverb
-
Policy credibility, once lost, is brutally hard to win back.—
William Pesek,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
-
This summer thriller introduces readers to five seemingly random people waiting for a train — until one of them is brutally killed.—
Desiree Anello,
PEOPLE,
10 June 2026
Adverb
-
The complaints also allege the 37 people detained were taken to the Broadview ICE detention center where they were treated inhumanely.—
Sara Tenenbaum,
CBS News,
13 May 2026
-
Building Alligator Alcatraz and being proud of treating people inhumanely while at the same time stealing money for his charity is disgusting.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
25 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ruthlessly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruthlessly. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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