as in mercilessness
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Recent Examples of ruthlessness
There are several historical accounts of his ruthlessness to people at the fort.
—
Kurt Snibbe, Oc Register, 24 Jan. 2026
The only difference between then and now isn’t just the impunity that has found a shield behind ICE’s black masks, but the ruthlessness behind the violence.
—Paola Ramos, Time, 12 Jan. 2026
Delcy, a lifelong ideologue, earned a reputation for ruthlessness and competency, running Maduro’s foreign ministry and later managing both the economy and the country’s oil industry.
—Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 5 Jan. 2026
Cheery and resolute Vault 33 dweller Lucy (Ella Purnell) left her underground home to find her abducted father, Hank (Kyle MacLachlan), and in doing so realized the difficulty of living by the golden rule in a world that’s defined by ruthlessness and want.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 16 Dec. 2025
Through the voices of those who loved him and those who feared him, Breslin peels back the composure that masked Gambino’s ruthlessness, revealing how this outsider rose to redefine power, loyalty and the American dream.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 13 Nov. 2025
There are shades of a more stylish Terminator to Amos’ ruthlessness, but Balogun never loses track of the mixture of human pain and professionalism that drives him.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 29 Oct. 2025
This was the Netherlands being defeated by a less flamboyant side, but one which offered technical skill, tactical quality and a sense of disciplined ruthlessness and defensive quality that all winning sides must possess.
—Michael Cox, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2025
Rupert Murdoch has built a record and a reputation for ruthlessness.
—David Folkenflik, NPR, 8 Sep. 2025
Kurt Snibbe, Oc Register, 24 Jan. 2026
The only difference between then and now isn’t just the impunity that has found a shield behind ICE’s black masks, but the ruthlessness behind the violence.
—Paola Ramos, Time, 12 Jan. 2026
Delcy, a lifelong ideologue, earned a reputation for ruthlessness and competency, running Maduro’s foreign ministry and later managing both the economy and the country’s oil industry.
—Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 5 Jan. 2026
Cheery and resolute Vault 33 dweller Lucy (Ella Purnell) left her underground home to find her abducted father, Hank (Kyle MacLachlan), and in doing so realized the difficulty of living by the golden rule in a world that’s defined by ruthlessness and want.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 16 Dec. 2025
Through the voices of those who loved him and those who feared him, Breslin peels back the composure that masked Gambino’s ruthlessness, revealing how this outsider rose to redefine power, loyalty and the American dream.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 13 Nov. 2025
There are shades of a more stylish Terminator to Amos’ ruthlessness, but Balogun never loses track of the mixture of human pain and professionalism that drives him.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 29 Oct. 2025
This was the Netherlands being defeated by a less flamboyant side, but one which offered technical skill, tactical quality and a sense of disciplined ruthlessness and defensive quality that all winning sides must possess.
—Michael Cox, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2025
Rupert Murdoch has built a record and a reputation for ruthlessness.
—David Folkenflik, NPR, 8 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruthlessness
Noun
-
The Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office announced Monday that Hunter Roy will serve six years behind bars after pleading guilty to cruelty to animals and endangering the welfare of a child.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
26 Jan. 2026
-
There was an implicit cruelty behind the exercise.—
Vinson Cunningham,
New Yorker,
24 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
O’Connell is terrific, but both his character and his performance are badly served by the prolonged savagery of certain scenes.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
14 Jan. 2026
-
Cash hasn’t so much tamed the savagery of the internet as turned on parental controls.—
Gideon Leek,
The Atlantic,
13 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The lives of the two children in the story, aged fourteen and four, are portrayed as being as fleeting as the fireflies, and the story is an unsentimental and unflinching account with moments of both tenderness and heartlessness.—
Ginny Tapley Takemori
September 4,
Literary Hub,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The series begins before Gein has ever killed, in 1945, as dawning awareness of death camps in Europe fills the air with sadism and conspiracy thinking.—
Daniel D'Addario,
Variety,
30 Sep. 2025
-
The invading parasite is a culture of hate and paranoia and sadism — mass hysteria as sanctioned by the government that is supposed to protect you.—
Rachel Raposas,
PEOPLE,
29 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The relentless flow of appalling events eventually overloads the nervous system; the rising tide of brutality, which once seemed shocking, comes to seem unremarkable.—
David Brooks,
Mercury News,
24 Jan. 2026
-
For Hasan as well, this round of unrest felt different, reflecting both the brutality of an increasingly paranoid regime and a new level of public anger and appetite for confrontation.—
Sarah Dean,
CNN Money,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Short’s personality and complexity, attributes long discarded as her life became bastardized, stand in stark contrast to the inhumanity of her death.—
Nathan Smith,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Jan. 2026
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In the world of The Bone Temple, the infected are no longer the greatest threat to survival; the inhumanity of the survivors can be stranger and more terrifying.—
Robert Lang,
Deadline,
27 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Cathy escapes, the Jimmies' numbers are diminished, and the stomach-churning barbarity finally comes to an end.—
Megan McCluskey,
Time,
16 Jan. 2026
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His observations about the barbarity of women’s beauty regimens aren’t exactly new, but they are acted out with enthusiasm and verve.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
16 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Gates has a preternatural knack for cloaking vulnerability in ferocity, being relatable and aspirational all in one.—
Hattie Lindert,
Pitchfork,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Yet Auburn still plays with the ferocity and pace Bruce Pearl instilled in his teams during his 31 seasons as a head coach.—
Edgar Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
23 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ruthlessness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruthlessness. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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