1
as in brutes
a mean, evil, or unprincipled person
what kind of savage would hurt a baby?
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in barbarians
an uncivilized person
inhabitants of exotic lands were invariably portrayed by early travel writers as savages
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in attacks
to criticize harshly and usually publicly
book reviewers mercilessly savaged his latest novel
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of savages
News Desk, Artforum, 10 Apr. 2026
Or Irish, in a time when they were seen as savages by the Englishmen?
—Arushi Jacob, Variety, 13 Feb. 2026
Noun
This notion was based on outdated presumptions of hillforts as being occupied by violent, prehistoric savages.
—News Desk, Artforum, 10 Apr. 2026
Or Irish, in a time when they were seen as savages by the Englishmen?
—Arushi Jacob, Variety, 13 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for savages
Noun
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That’s happened in several Mid Atlantic rivers, but in the absence of larger brutes like blues and flathead, channels will thrive and can break the 15-pound mark.—
Joe Cermele,
Outdoor Life,
9 Apr. 2026
-
In Raspail’s tale, hordes of impoverished and dark-skinned brutes from India descend onto French shores by way of rafts, the first wave of an invasion of the civilized West by the brown-skinned developing world.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In most academic histories of European imperialism written in this century, the Europeans are the barbarians, killing and raping and looting on an unprecedented scale.—
David A. Bell,
The New York Review of Books,
19 Mar. 2026
-
And if any of you barbarians out there slather ranch dressing on your wings, there’s a special place in hell just for you.—
Bill Reinhard,
New York Daily News,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The man attacks the woman with the hammer multiple times before stepping over her unmoving body and walking away out of the frame of the camera.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
11 Apr. 2026
-
She was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa — an eye disease that causes vision loss — and lupus, a disease where the immune system mistakenly attacks the body’s healthy tissues and organs instead of fighting germs, according to court records.—
Chase Jordan
April 10,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
There are flying cars held at bay by the power of telekenesis and Park teleporting, as the crew clumsily accept their new ‘hero’ roles and attempt to take on the villains threatening the peace of Haeseong City.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
22 Apr. 2026
-
The playoffs have delivered their share of Knicks villains over the years, from Reggie Miller to Joel Embiid to Tyrese Haliburton.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
This cross-partisan skit is refreshing and the only people who might hate it are Cuomo supporters and maybe some woke scolds.—
Andrew Stanton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
-
On our hike, Jessie Krebs scolds her boots for sliding on a slick, house-size boulder.—
Andrew McKean,
Outdoor Life,
19 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
So many of my favorite filmmakers over the years have been exposed as monsters.—
Elisabeth Garber-Paul,
Rolling Stone,
19 Apr. 2026
-
No further films in the series are planned, though Universal did repurpose the name Dark Universe for an area of its Epic Universe theme park featuring the classic monsters.—
Brendan Morrow,
USA Today,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Under my watch, anyone who abuses wildlife in Florida will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.—
Ashley Miznazi,
Miami Herald,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Its leader, the president, abuses power, hurts the innocent, and mocks the dead before their families have even begun to grieve.—
Peter Wehner,
The Atlantic,
23 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The scheme is designed to identify suspected criminals, combat identity fraud, and to police the EU's limit on 90-day stays within a 180-day period, according to the European Commission.—
Emma Clarke,
Condé Nast Traveler,
10 Apr. 2026
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Rex Heuermann, the man known as the Gilgo Beach killer, admitted to killing eight women over a span of decades, and the FBI is now looking into what motivated the 62-year-old to carry out his crimes to help capture other criminals in the future.—
Matt Lavietes,
NBC news,
9 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Savages.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/savages. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
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