as in mercilessly
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Recent Examples of ruthlessly
San Diego can cut teams apart in possession or on the counter and ruthlessly preys upon opponents’ mistakes.
—
Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 6 Mar. 2026
In this, Khamenei was remarkably, ruthlessly successful.
—Karim Sadjadpour, The Atlantic, 28 Feb. 2026
But, to get there, Brontë enlists some of the ubiquitous tropes of her time—the foundling hero, for example—only to ruthlessly unravel them.
—Radhika Jones, New Yorker, 26 Feb. 2026
Technology’s ruthlessly deflationary force will first wipe out travel booking platforms, Citrini predicted, with agents able to assemble a complete travel itinerary by the fourth quarter of 2026, faster and cheaper than any platform could.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 23 Feb. 2026
In his absence, Maduro has been replaced by his former deputy, Delcy Rodriguez, now acting president, who has ruthlessly transformed her country’s geopolitical outlook.
—Stefano Pozzebon, CNN Money, 17 Feb. 2026
Republicans understand this gap and are exploiting it ruthlessly.
—Julian Baron, Baltimore Sun, 16 Feb. 2026
Investigators believe the husband ruthlessly exploited his wife on a large scale, prosecutor Ida Annerstedt said.
—ABC News, 16 Feb. 2026
Across almost two decades of ownership under Roman Abramovich, the club ruthlessly chewed through many of the world’s most famous and successful coaches, banking a steady flow of trophies and pressing the ‘eject’ button at the first sign of failure.
—The Athletic Staff, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2026
Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 6 Mar. 2026
In this, Khamenei was remarkably, ruthlessly successful.
—Karim Sadjadpour, The Atlantic, 28 Feb. 2026
But, to get there, Brontë enlists some of the ubiquitous tropes of her time—the foundling hero, for example—only to ruthlessly unravel them.
—Radhika Jones, New Yorker, 26 Feb. 2026
Technology’s ruthlessly deflationary force will first wipe out travel booking platforms, Citrini predicted, with agents able to assemble a complete travel itinerary by the fourth quarter of 2026, faster and cheaper than any platform could.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 23 Feb. 2026
In his absence, Maduro has been replaced by his former deputy, Delcy Rodriguez, now acting president, who has ruthlessly transformed her country’s geopolitical outlook.
—Stefano Pozzebon, CNN Money, 17 Feb. 2026
Republicans understand this gap and are exploiting it ruthlessly.
—Julian Baron, Baltimore Sun, 16 Feb. 2026
Investigators believe the husband ruthlessly exploited his wife on a large scale, prosecutor Ida Annerstedt said.
—ABC News, 16 Feb. 2026
Across almost two decades of ownership under Roman Abramovich, the club ruthlessly chewed through many of the world’s most famous and successful coaches, banking a steady flow of trophies and pressing the ‘eject’ button at the first sign of failure.
—The Athletic Staff, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruthlessly
Adverb
-
His father was the warden there, and Dominique was teased for it mercilessly at school.—
Gaby Wood,
Vogue,
21 Feb. 2026
-
Madrid are actually owned by 80,000 members who demand the highest standards — and are surrounded by a voracious local media who mercilessly criticise anyone who even temporarily falls short.—
The Athletic Staff,
New York Times,
15 Feb. 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
-
In the process, Joel heartlessly killed some innocent people, including medical professionals.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
26 Aug. 2025
-
There is a troubling suggestion of abuse, implying that Jack might have been ill-treated by his mom (and saved by Helen), rather than heartlessly abandoned.—
Tomris Laffly,
Variety,
14 Aug. 2025
Adverb
-
Now my son is dead after suffering unmercifully.—
Rick Sobey,
Boston Herald,
6 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
Marley’s level of fame and influence meant that, after his death at 36, his legacy, his spirit, his brand was to be shaped by a record industry that could be callously indifferent to truth or quality at the expense of revenue.—
Eric Harvey,
Pitchfork,
18 Jan. 2026
-
Some industry representatives ahead of the meeting expressed worry that attending risked casting them as willing participants in a callously opportunistic grab for Venezuela’s crude, people familiar with the matter said.—
Bloomberg Wire,
Dallas Morning News,
10 Jan. 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
-
Asian markets were hit particularly hard; a monthslong rally brutally ended in South Korea, where industry is heavily reliant on raw materials sourced from the Middle East.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
13 Mar. 2026
-
The documentary is built around the investigative work of journalists Katya Hakim and Denis Korotkov who picked up the mantle from three colleagues who were brutally slain while looking into Wagner’s clandestine activities in Africa.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
10 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
The oversight tour came after activists alleged detainees were being treated inhumanely at the facility.—
Tim Dunn,
Boston Herald,
14 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ruthlessly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruthlessly. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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