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
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Recent Examples of slash-and-burn
Trump’s slash-and-burn approach has hurt nearly every college revenue stream.
—
Emma Whitford, Forbes.com, 11 Apr. 2025
The duo have, since this spring, held rallies across the country to harness populist anger at President Donald Trump and his billionaire adviser Elon Musk’s slash-and-burn approach to federal governance.
—Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 4 Apr. 2025
But, shockingly, not everyone is thrilled with Musk’s slash-and-burn approach to gutting the federal government.
—Anita Chabria, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2025
As Elon Musk's slash-and-burn budget cuts hit Republican and Democratic areas alike, some GOP lawmakers are privately back-channeling with the Trump administration to try to shield their constituents from the fallout.
—Erin Doherty, Axios, 12 Mar. 2025
Musk has ramped up his visibility in politics and government, leading the new Department of Government Efficiency in what fans call efforts to curtail government fraud and critics call an unelected takeover and slash-and-burn.
—Hadas Gold, CNN, 11 Mar. 2025
Even Eisenhower, who was no fan of McCarthy’s slash-and-burn methods, hesitated to speak out against him, for fear of splintering a fragile Republican coalition.
—Beverly Gage, The New Yorker, 10 Mar. 2025
So Power of Mama members have started patrolling for fire risks, urging farmers to follow the rules about slash-and-burn clearing, and challenging stereotypes about women’s roles in rural Indonesian life along the way.
—Sara Miller Llana, The Christian Science Monitor, 6 Mar. 2025
Meanwhile, top officials at the State Department warned the Trump Administration’s that its slash-and-burn policy at USAID would result in hundreds of thousands of deaths, reported ProPublica.
—Alex Knapp, Forbes, 5 Mar. 2025
Emma Whitford, Forbes.com, 11 Apr. 2025
The duo have, since this spring, held rallies across the country to harness populist anger at President Donald Trump and his billionaire adviser Elon Musk’s slash-and-burn approach to federal governance.
—Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 4 Apr. 2025
But, shockingly, not everyone is thrilled with Musk’s slash-and-burn approach to gutting the federal government.
—Anita Chabria, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2025
As Elon Musk's slash-and-burn budget cuts hit Republican and Democratic areas alike, some GOP lawmakers are privately back-channeling with the Trump administration to try to shield their constituents from the fallout.
—Erin Doherty, Axios, 12 Mar. 2025
Musk has ramped up his visibility in politics and government, leading the new Department of Government Efficiency in what fans call efforts to curtail government fraud and critics call an unelected takeover and slash-and-burn.
—Hadas Gold, CNN, 11 Mar. 2025
Even Eisenhower, who was no fan of McCarthy’s slash-and-burn methods, hesitated to speak out against him, for fear of splintering a fragile Republican coalition.
—Beverly Gage, The New Yorker, 10 Mar. 2025
So Power of Mama members have started patrolling for fire risks, urging farmers to follow the rules about slash-and-burn clearing, and challenging stereotypes about women’s roles in rural Indonesian life along the way.
—Sara Miller Llana, The Christian Science Monitor, 6 Mar. 2025
Meanwhile, top officials at the State Department warned the Trump Administration’s that its slash-and-burn policy at USAID would result in hundreds of thousands of deaths, reported ProPublica.
—Alex Knapp, Forbes, 5 Mar. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slash-and-burn
Adjective
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There is the ruthless spymaster Luthen Rael (Stellan Skarsgård) and his mysterious assistant Kleya (Elizabeth Dulau).—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
21 Apr. 2025
-
O’Neil had shown a more ruthless streak in dealing with Lemina, stripping the midfielder of the captaincy after those embarrassing post-match scenes at West Ham.—
Steve Madeley,
New York Times,
21 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Inspired by Lauren’s late mother, Adele, who was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s at the age of 55, their family knows that this merciless disease is no laughing matter.—
Jeff Conway,
Forbes.com,
17 Apr. 2025
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Lottie proposes that Natalie be stripped of her title and that the merciless and vicious Shauna should lead them instead.—
Erin Qualey,
Vulture,
14 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Slash-and-burn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slash-and-burn. Accessed 1 May. 2025.
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