as in cruelty
disposition to willfully inflict pain and suffering on others
a study of the savagery shown by soldiers in wartime
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Recent Examples of savagery
Its savagery was all the more disturbing knowing what a compassionate, effective man Rob Reiner was in life and work.
—
Matt Zoller Seitz, Vulture, 16 Dec. 2025
Then came the October 7, 2023, savagery by Hamas that took the lives of more than 1,200 innocent Jews—40 years after the attack on America’s troops in Beirut.
—Lee Habeeb, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Dec. 2025
With the facial articulation of a silent film star crossed with the savagery of a post-Saw killer, Art went from underground curiosity to horror icon within a decade.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Oct. 2025
This, too, is where savagery lurks—in tedious, monotonous tasks.
—Seema Jilani
august 29, Literary Hub, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for savagery
Matt Zoller Seitz, Vulture, 16 Dec. 2025
Then came the October 7, 2023, savagery by Hamas that took the lives of more than 1,200 innocent Jews—40 years after the attack on America’s troops in Beirut.
—Lee Habeeb, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Dec. 2025
With the facial articulation of a silent film star crossed with the savagery of a post-Saw killer, Art went from underground curiosity to horror icon within a decade.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Oct. 2025
This, too, is where savagery lurks—in tedious, monotonous tasks.
—Seema Jilani
august 29, Literary Hub, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for savagery
Recent Examples of Synonyms for savagery
Noun
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Observing human behavior confirms that for some among us, the perfidious lust for unbridled power and the imposition of cruelty in its quest know no bounds and are bereft of human decency.—
A.O. Scott,
New York Times,
3 Feb. 2026
-
An animal cruelty investigation involving two dogs has ignited outrage on social media, after photos revealed the pets were tethered and abandoned during Charlotte’s weekend snow storm.—
Mark Price,
Charlotte Observer,
3 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The department’s oversight, an unprecedented arrangement that began with the infamous Riders brutality scandal in the early 2000s, will continue at least until May.—
Shomik Mukherjee,
Mercury News,
31 Jan. 2026
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The movie is happy to have Linda commit acts of brutality to preserve her place on top, but what is true equality if not allowing your anti-heroine to be in all ways just as monstrously self-interested as the men?—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Savagery.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/savagery. Accessed 5 Feb. 2026.
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