1
as in weakness
the quality or state of lacking strength of will or character
the spinelessness that the grown woman has shown in dealing with her overbearing mother
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in fearfulness
a shameful lack of courage in the face of danger
charged the midshipman with sickening spinelessness under fire
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of spinelessness
Some protesters are there to boo and shame Benitez for her spinelessness.
—
Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 14 Nov. 2025
Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 14 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spinelessness
Noun
-
The shortage exposed a structural weakness.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Trump has defended his economic record, referring to concerns over affordability as a hoax and blaming weakness in the economy on Democrats.—
Shannon Pettypiece,
NBC news,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Trump had also accused NATO allies of cowardice over their reluctance to help open the strait.—
Michael Loria,
USA Today,
22 Mar. 2026
-
His first period piece, the film follows a Belgian soldier grappling with cowardice and heroism in the trenches of WWI.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
18 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Given the President’s long-standing support for corporate tax cuts and deregulation of industry, this pusillanimity is perhaps not so surprising.—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
22 Sep. 2025
-
Our logrolling, our stumps and their politics, our fisheries, our Negroes and Indians, our boasts and our repudiations, the wrath of rogues and the pusillanimity of honest men, the northern trade, the southern planting, the western clearing, Oregon, and Texas, are yet unsung.—
Mark Edmundson,
Harper’s Magazine ,
12 Dec. 2022
Cite this Entry
“Spinelessness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spinelessness. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
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