as in ruthless
having or showing a lack of sympathy or tender feelings
under his slash-and-burn management ethic, even longtime employees were summarily downsized for the sake of corporate competitiveness
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of slash-and-burn
Many of the dispossessed took to the woods and subsisted by slash-and-burn tillage, while others immigrated to Manchuria and Japan in search of jobs; the majority of Korean residents now in those areas are their descendants.
—
Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Mar. 2026
Even after a year of slash-and-burn, Trump is not done.
—Lara Williams, Twin Cities, 22 Jan. 2026
That stark reality forced both sides to wage slash-and-burn propaganda campaigns designed to sow doubt and disinformation among their enemies.
—Literary Hub, 7 Nov. 2025
The Ukrainian experience here points to a Russian slash-and-burn policy.
—Scott Peterson, Christian Science Monitor, 1 Oct. 2025
Here and there, a plume of smoke rose up from a field; slash-and-burn farming, locally known as tavy, is still practiced here.
—Chris Schalkx, Vogue, 30 Sep. 2025
Frustrated attendees repeatedly pressed Marshall over President Donald Trump’s actions and the impact of billionaire Elon Musk’s slash-and-burn cost-cutting measures on federal workers and veterans.
—Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 18 Sep. 2025
The slash-and-burn approach to funding academic research counters that goal.
—Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 20 Aug. 2025
The push by Trump and Elon Musk, who led DOGE before leaving the White House in May, drew widespread condemnation over the administration's slash-and-burn approach to shrinking the bureaucracy.
—Peter Aitken, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Aug. 2025
Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Mar. 2026
Even after a year of slash-and-burn, Trump is not done.
—Lara Williams, Twin Cities, 22 Jan. 2026
That stark reality forced both sides to wage slash-and-burn propaganda campaigns designed to sow doubt and disinformation among their enemies.
—Literary Hub, 7 Nov. 2025
The Ukrainian experience here points to a Russian slash-and-burn policy.
—Scott Peterson, Christian Science Monitor, 1 Oct. 2025
Here and there, a plume of smoke rose up from a field; slash-and-burn farming, locally known as tavy, is still practiced here.
—Chris Schalkx, Vogue, 30 Sep. 2025
Frustrated attendees repeatedly pressed Marshall over President Donald Trump’s actions and the impact of billionaire Elon Musk’s slash-and-burn cost-cutting measures on federal workers and veterans.
—Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 18 Sep. 2025
The slash-and-burn approach to funding academic research counters that goal.
—Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 20 Aug. 2025
The push by Trump and Elon Musk, who led DOGE before leaving the White House in May, drew widespread condemnation over the administration's slash-and-burn approach to shrinking the bureaucracy.
—Peter Aitken, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slash-and-burn
Adjective
-
More ruthless than ever, Tony Baddingham (Tennant) is determined to dismantle his rivals piece-by-piece, weaponising scandal and manipulating those closest to him to maintain his grip on power.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Their little brother Dante is an irresponsible party boy, tangled up with a ruthless local gang.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
This commentary was not from a wonkish TikToker nor a network pundit but from TMZ, the merciless purveyor of celebrity dirt, which published the images of Graham after a citizen vacationer noticed the senator flitting through the theme park and sent pictures.—
Paula Mejía,
New Yorker,
15 Apr. 2026
-
But in the shadows, amid growing unease at the bloodthirsty actions of the realm’s merciless Mad King, dissenters from his inner circle anxiously advance a treasonous plot.—
Ryan Brennan
April 3,
Charlotte Observer,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Slash-and-burn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slash-and-burn. Accessed 19 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
