1
as in weak
lacking strength of will or character
a spineless man who let his wife make all the decisions
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of spineless
That kind of spineless politics is what people are sick of.
—
Oren Oppenheim, ABC News, 14 Sep. 2025
Played by a sniveling Casey Siemaszko, Billy is spineless and spiteful.
—Sezin Devi Koehler September 1, EW.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Rather than feigned civility or spineless compromise, a strong response to this prompt will show that a student has integrity and conviction, but is willing to grow and interrogate their ideas through engagement with others.
—Christopher Rim, Forbes.com, 17 July 2025
Today’s Republican Party is a bunch of weak, spineless cowards who cower in obedient terror at Trump’s feet.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 12 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for spineless
Oren Oppenheim, ABC News, 14 Sep. 2025
Played by a sniveling Casey Siemaszko, Billy is spineless and spiteful.
—Sezin Devi Koehler September 1, EW.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Rather than feigned civility or spineless compromise, a strong response to this prompt will show that a student has integrity and conviction, but is willing to grow and interrogate their ideas through engagement with others.
—Christopher Rim, Forbes.com, 17 July 2025
Today’s Republican Party is a bunch of weak, spineless cowards who cower in obedient terror at Trump’s feet.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 12 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for spineless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spineless
Adjective
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New orders contracted for a fourth month and export bookings remained weak, based on the ISM data.—
Reade Pickert Bloomberg,
Arkansas Online,
6 Jan. 2026
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Getting too little of either can lead to weak, brittle bones, and too much can also cause problems (like kidney stones or nausea).—
T'Keyah Bazin,
Verywell Health,
6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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In Humphrey Cobb’s 1935 novel about a trio of French soldiers condemned to death at random by their cowardly superiors, Kubrick found a perfect vessel for his obsessions.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
31 Dec. 2025
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Deputy Brown’s courage in the face of an unprovoked and cowardly attack reflects the very best of our profession.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
12 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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Lord & Taylor shut all its stores in 2019 after HBC sold the weakened retailer, and Hudson’s Bay in Canada liquidated last year, ending its 355-year run.—
Phil Wahba,
Fortune,
8 Jan. 2026
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Salmonella can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in infants, young children, older people, pregnant persons, and those with weakened immune systems.—
Michele Laufik,
Martha Stewart,
5 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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In a year of gutless moves by major media companies, this may be the most gutless.—
Bill Goodykoontz,
AZCentral.com,
17 Sep. 2025
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Listen, by doing it this way, with a press release instead of a press conference, Rose looks both gutless and gutty at the same time.—
Mike Lupica,
New York Daily News,
6 June 2025
Adjective
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The hardware is built for intimacy, pairing a soft exterior with full-body sensors that react to a user’s touch on its head or neck.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Jan. 2026
-
So uncompromising as to turn hard heads into soft behinds.—
Marcus Thompson II,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The opposition ranged from clinical and code-based to angry and afraid.—
Mark Dee,
Idaho Statesman,
6 Jan. 2026
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From animal prints to floral patterns and everything in between, don’t be afraid to let loose and have fun with patterns in your space.—
Cori Sears,
Better Homes & Gardens,
6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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So does the craven poor judgment required by any public officials who hire him.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
21 Dec. 2025
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Unlike their cynical and craven counterparts in Texas, a majority of Indiana Republican state senators understood that short-term electoral gains weren’t worth sacrificing their principles.—
The Editorial Board,
Oc Register,
16 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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Some also have lost lawyers, dismayed by the pusillanimous behavior of their leaders.—
Michael Hiltzik,
Los Angeles Times,
28 May 2025
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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
Cite this Entry
“Spineless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spineless. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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