1
as in weak
lacking strength of will or character
a spineless man who let his wife make all the decisions
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in cowardly
having or showing a shameful lack of courage
spineless seamen who trembled at the first roar of the cannon
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 spineless
Make no mistake: New York's seniors are paying the price for Lawler's weak and spineless leadership.
—
Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 20 Mar. 2025
Duplass’ Michael is a dud, sorta sweet but totally spineless.
—Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Mar. 2025
Crudup is a wonderful actor, and Manders is also a tough part — one of Ibsen’s spineless and yet somehow not soulless creatures.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 10 Mar. 2025
Musk and Trump must be stopped before more Americans are killed, and only those spineless Republicans in Congress can stop them.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 4 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spineless
Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 20 Mar. 2025
Duplass’ Michael is a dud, sorta sweet but totally spineless.
—Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Mar. 2025
Crudup is a wonderful actor, and Manders is also a tough part — one of Ibsen’s spineless and yet somehow not soulless creatures.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 10 Mar. 2025
Musk and Trump must be stopped before more Americans are killed, and only those spineless Republicans in Congress can stop them.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 4 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spineless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spineless
Adjective
-
The report also included a number of ‘weak’ odor sources observed during the study, including odors emanating from the Curaleaf cannabis facility on Britt Road and Goldflower Cannabis facility on Niles Road.—
James Wilkins,
The Orlando Sentinel,
9 May 2025
-
Thompson’s brother Maurice, who allegedly drove the chasing Chevrolet Equinox, was granted bail in October — indicating a potentially weak case.—
Meredith Colias-Pete,
Chicago Tribune,
9 May 2025
Adjective
-
Those who resort to violence to undermine our state and nation must be held accountable, and our state leaders must reinforce through decisive action that these cowardly attacks will not be tolerated.—
Ron Estes,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2025
-
The cowardly capitulation of Paul Weiss and Skadden Arps are negative examples to be learned from.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
29 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Two baseballs flew down toward the San Diego Padres’ Jurickson Profar from the left-field corner stands, the gutless moves of two cowards.—
Bill Plaschke,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Oct. 2024
-
And the really jaw-dropping part of AMLO’s gutless abdication?—
Tim Padgett,
Sun Sentinel,
18 Aug. 2024
Adjective
-
Some risk factors for babies include sleeping on their side or stomach, sharing a bed with a parent or caregiver, using soft bedding or bumper pads and sleeping on an incline.—
Adrianna Rodriguez,
USA Today,
10 May 2025
-
Their romance proceeds in soft focus with a soundtrack of accelerated heartbeats and musical interludes, as well as pretty camera shots of raindrops flashing in the sun.—
Joan MacDonald,
Forbes.com,
9 May 2025
Adjective
-
Namely, attendees can expect a number of high-energy sets from various DJs — who hopefully aren’t afraid of heights — throughout the temporary venue’s run, starting with a sneak peek performance by Carlita on May 16.—
Hannah Dailey,
Billboard,
12 May 2025
-
And remember: Don't ever be afraid to give it a good shake.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
12 May 2025
Adjective
-
Though authorities in South Yorkshire and centrally were to blame for the disaster, some of the deceased were still fighting for their lives when those responsible started shifting the focus away from their own failings, buttressed by support from craven sections of the media.—
Simon Hughes,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2025
-
Lead actors Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Anthony Mackie share minimal chemistry, though the episode’s most craven move has to be contriving a loophole giving the romantic opposites an easy out.—
Charles Bramesco,
Vulture,
10 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The second believed the United States could attain comprehensive security through military-technological means and saw diplomacy as a quixotic or pusillanimous enterprise that dishonored and weakened the country.—
A. Wess Mitchell,
Foreign Affairs,
22 Apr. 2025
-
In this instance, though, the Administration is not attempting to trample on powerless civil servants or migrants, or pusillanimous law firms, or universities that don’t have as much money as Harvard does.—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
21 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The frightened Maltese was swimming in circles, but Desalvo and his colleagues were able to pull her to safety.—
Rebecca White,
New York Daily News,
10 May 2025
-
The first few attempts to free the dog failed, then the rescuers cleverly used a tarp to hoist the frightened animal to safety.—
Kendall Malinchock,
USA Today,
9 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spineless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spineless. Accessed 23 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share