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
Congress and the courts must do everything possible to stop the federal administration's slash-and-burn tactics.
—
Mohammed Soliman, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Apr. 2025
The Tesla and SpaceX mogul is a key ally of Trump, leading his slash-and-burn effort to cut government spending with his Department of Government Efficiency.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 28 Apr. 2025
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
Mohammed Soliman, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Apr. 2025
The Tesla and SpaceX mogul is a key ally of Trump, leading his slash-and-burn effort to cut government spending with his Department of Government Efficiency.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 28 Apr. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slash-and-burn
Adjective
-
Wes Anderson is talking about a surreal moment that occurs early in his latest film, The Phoenician Scheme, in which the protagonist, the ruthless international tycoon Zsa-Zsa Korda (Benicio del Toro), experiences a vision of the afterlife.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
18 May 2025
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The exception nearly arrives in the closing minutes during a high-stakes scene that had the potential to transform the whole film into a ruthless satire.—
Madison Bloom,
Pitchfork,
16 May 2025
Adjective
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This time, his assignment takes him to Serbia, as he is tasked with assassinating the merciless General Mile Valstoria (Peter Linka).—
Christopher Rudolph,
People.com,
10 May 2025
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That was 12 years ago, and yet the talk about him continues here, the ghosts live on, and with merciless frequency Lerro privately relives the fateful morning in which a vicious storm descended upon him with no warning.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
8 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Slash-and-burn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slash-and-burn. Accessed 22 May. 2025.
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