Synonyms of take-no-prisoners

take-no-prisoners

adjective

ˈtāk-ˈnō-ˈpriz-(ə-)nərz 

as in ruthless

having or showing a lack of sympathy or tender feelings

a theater critic with a take-no-prisoners approach to reviewing Broadway's latest offerings

Synonyms & Similar Words

• ruthless
• merciless
• hard
• stony
• brutal
• pitiless
• tough
• abusive
• slash-and-burn
• oppressive
• harsh
• stern
• vicious
• compassionless
• unmerciful
• remorseless
• unsparing
• malicious
• hateful
• heartless
• callous
• thick-skinned
• hard-boiled
• obdurate
• cold-blooded
• soulless
• cruel
• pachydermatous
• affectless
• inhuman
• unsympathetic
• inhumane
• hard-hearted
• insensitive
• unfeeling
• uncharitable
• grim
• savage
• stoney
• case-hardened
• insensate
• indurate
• severe
• rough-and-tumble
• desensitized
• boorish
• ironhearted
• rough
• heedless
• stonyhearted
• mean
• virulent
• thoughtless
• uncaring
• unfriendly
• spiteful
• unthinking
• malevolent
• hard-bitten
• ungentle
• acrimonious
• heavy-handed
• sledgehammer
• ironfisted
• brutish
• inconsiderate
• unloving
• disagreeable
• jackbooted
• knock-down-and-drag-out
• rancorous
• surly
• ironhanded
• bestial
• cold
• ill-tempered
• barbarous
• knock-down, drag-out
• ill-natured
• austere
• frosty
• evil-minded

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• sympathetic
• sensitive
• warm
• compassionate
• charitable
• humane
• gentle
• merciful
• kind
• benevolent
• mild
• kindly
• tender
• lenient
• friendly
• softhearted
• warmhearted
• indulgent
• kindhearted
• gracious
• tenderhearted
• cordial
• loving
• tolerant
• good-natured
• benignant
• affectionate
• understanding
• clement
• good-tempered
• fond

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of take-no-prisoners

Nothing about Francis Lawrence’s take-no-prisoners adaptation of Richard Bachman’s (aka Stephen King) staggering novel offers one shard of hope for any of us to wrap our bloodied fingers around. —Randy Myers, Mercury News, 12 Sep. 2025

The fact that any remaining mutual admiration is fueled by mutual animosity is thus introduced right up front, and the movie wastes zero time setting out the rules of engagement for what will soon become take-no-prisoners warfare between the Roses. —David Fear, Rolling Stone, 27 Aug. 2025

The third-favorite in New York, Strategic Focus, stands at 10-1 in Britain, which is to say, the take-no-prisoners London bookies think that the 6-1 New York odds are not high enough to reflect his chance of losing to Sovereignty by a measure of nearly fifty percent. —Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2025

Newsom’s take-no-prisoners social media strategy has gone viral. —Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 19 Aug. 2025

Karen Read and her attorney Alan Jackson, who just signed on to the latest twist in this take-no-prisoners legal struggle, aren’t sweating the sad wrongful-death suit brought in Plymouth County by John O’Keefe’s family. —Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 6 Aug. 2025

Depending on your perspective, of course, some of these use cases might not be unethical, but the tension between these survey answers encouraged me: far from being nihilistic, take-no-prisoners cheaters, my students seemed genuinely confused. —Piers Gelly july 28, Literary Hub, 28 July 2025

But Groff’s take-no-prisoners performance as nightclub superstar Bobby Darin is pure Broadway, and thoroughly – and more than justifiably – winning. —Greg Evans, Deadline, 6 June 2025