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
Relevance
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 take-no-prisoners
And Childress got an Earnhardt descendant in Busch — a driver who some considered a villain for his take-no-prisoners style, a father, an all-time great who for the longest time couldn’t win the biggest race of them all.
—
Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 6 June 2026
Lemieux played a total of 1,215 games in the NHL, and his statistics were legion, as was his take-no-prisoners reputation.
—Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 28 May 2026
His take-no-prisoners approach played well.
—Hershal Pandya, Vulture, 12 May 2026
Chicago is known for its hard-nosed politics and take-no-prisoners attitude.
—Glenn Davis, Chicago Tribune, 3 May 2026
Her take-no-prisoners portrayal of Lois quickly became a defining career highlight.
—Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026
But some specialists in legal ethics expressed doubts at the time that the additional pledge would affect courtroom behavior — the late Stanford Law professor Deborah Rhode said some lawyers simply conclude that a take-no-prisoners attitude would help their client.
—Bob Egelko, San Francisco Chronicle, 16 Mar. 2026
Continuing in his take-no-prisoners approach, Lane moved on from Chalamet to relate an anecdote, first told by his friend Jesse Tyler Ferguson on a podcast, in which Lane met Ferguson’s young son, who was duly dazzled by The Lion King star.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 12 Mar. 2026
Ricky Gervais has hosted the Golden Globes five times, making Hollywood sweat with his take-no-prisoners approach to jokes mocking showbiz.
—William Earl, Variety, 30 Dec. 2025
Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 6 June 2026
Lemieux played a total of 1,215 games in the NHL, and his statistics were legion, as was his take-no-prisoners reputation.
—Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 28 May 2026
His take-no-prisoners approach played well.
—Hershal Pandya, Vulture, 12 May 2026
Chicago is known for its hard-nosed politics and take-no-prisoners attitude.
—Glenn Davis, Chicago Tribune, 3 May 2026
Her take-no-prisoners portrayal of Lois quickly became a defining career highlight.
—Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026
But some specialists in legal ethics expressed doubts at the time that the additional pledge would affect courtroom behavior — the late Stanford Law professor Deborah Rhode said some lawyers simply conclude that a take-no-prisoners attitude would help their client.
—Bob Egelko, San Francisco Chronicle, 16 Mar. 2026
Continuing in his take-no-prisoners approach, Lane moved on from Chalamet to relate an anecdote, first told by his friend Jesse Tyler Ferguson on a podcast, in which Lane met Ferguson’s young son, who was duly dazzled by The Lion King star.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 12 Mar. 2026
Ricky Gervais has hosted the Golden Globes five times, making Hollywood sweat with his take-no-prisoners approach to jokes mocking showbiz.
—William Earl, Variety, 30 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for take-no-prisoners
Adjective
-
Serenity Maggie’s (and Sweet Magnolias‘) trip to New York was cut short as Season 5 offered a juxtaposition between small-town values and ruthless big-city corporate culture.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
11 June 2026
-
Ruffalo will voice Nero, a scrappy black cat, and Fishburne will play Rocco, a ruthless cat mob boss.—
Jordan Moreau,
Variety,
11 June 2026
Adjective
-
Having catalogued the Black Death’s horrifying effects, Ibn Khatima went on to outline a series of preventative measures and active treatments designed to combat this merciless scourge.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 May 2026
-
The jokes on social media will be endless, and opposing fans will be merciless.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
20 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Take-no-prisoners.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/take-no-prisoners. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
