as in harshly
in a manner so as to cause loss or suffering
the prisoners were treated brutally at the hands of the guards
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Recent Examples of brutally
The 2021 army takeover triggered massive public resistance that was brutally suppressed, triggering a bloody civil war that has killed thousands of people.
—
ABC News, 30 Apr. 2026
Even before the war began, hardship and inflation provoked nationwide protests that were brutally repressed.
—Tim Lister, CNN Money, 28 Apr. 2026
Plus, again, the cost of living has become brutally high.
—Annie Lowrey, The Atlantic, 28 Apr. 2026
Nate is brutally beaten, thrown against the railing of his staircase, and dragged across the floor.
—Allison Degrushe, StyleCaster, 27 Apr. 2026
Woo said Lawhead had been sentenced to spend 19 years in prison for brutally attacking a 71-year-old grandmother and raping her 11-year-old granddaughter in 1980 in Sacramento County.
—Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 27 Apr. 2026
Hannah Alline – Feral A man (Ethan Embry) with a grudge against women crashes a bachelorette party prepared to brutally kill everyone there.
—Richard Newby, HollywoodReporter, 27 Apr. 2026
Lawhead had been released from prison in early 1991 after serving 11 years out of a 19-year prison sentence for breaking into a home in 1980, brutally beating a grandmother, and raping her 11-year-old granddaughter.
—Carlos E. Castañeda, CBS News, 27 Apr. 2026
To simulate Antarctica’s brutally cold temperatures, Khare trained inside a storage freezer set to 5 degrees Fahrenheit in downtown Los Angeles, running on a treadmill while dialing in every detail.
—Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 25 Apr. 2026
ABC News, 30 Apr. 2026
Even before the war began, hardship and inflation provoked nationwide protests that were brutally repressed.
—Tim Lister, CNN Money, 28 Apr. 2026
Plus, again, the cost of living has become brutally high.
—Annie Lowrey, The Atlantic, 28 Apr. 2026
Nate is brutally beaten, thrown against the railing of his staircase, and dragged across the floor.
—Allison Degrushe, StyleCaster, 27 Apr. 2026
Woo said Lawhead had been sentenced to spend 19 years in prison for brutally attacking a 71-year-old grandmother and raping her 11-year-old granddaughter in 1980 in Sacramento County.
—Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 27 Apr. 2026
Hannah Alline – Feral A man (Ethan Embry) with a grudge against women crashes a bachelorette party prepared to brutally kill everyone there.
—Richard Newby, HollywoodReporter, 27 Apr. 2026
Lawhead had been released from prison in early 1991 after serving 11 years out of a 19-year prison sentence for breaking into a home in 1980, brutally beating a grandmother, and raping her 11-year-old granddaughter.
—Carlos E. Castañeda, CBS News, 27 Apr. 2026
To simulate Antarctica’s brutally cold temperatures, Khare trained inside a storage freezer set to 5 degrees Fahrenheit in downtown Los Angeles, running on a treadmill while dialing in every detail.
—Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 25 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brutally
Adverb
-
After Talley’s initial court hearing Monday, Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 7 President John Catanzara and Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza were among several officials who harshly criticized the passage of the SAFE-T Act and Lyke’s decision to grant Talley pretrial release.—
Caroline Kubzansky,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Again, Gulutzan was reluctant to criticize his team too harshly given how close the series has been.—
Mark Lazerus,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
Such cuts would defund Florida Forever, severely limiting the state’s ability to protect priority conservation lands and undermining administrative and staffing capacity.—
Susan Carr,
Sun Sentinel,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Others have been severely neglected or abused or left stranded following their owner’s death.—
Eric Adler
April 26,
Kansas City Star,
26 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
The first of the four chapters is an oppressively gray-toned, narratively diffuse spy thriller, set amid the mists of what appears to be the Second World War.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
18 Dec. 2025
-
The second planet from the sun has a completely inhospitable surface, with temperatures reaching 863 degrees Fahrenheit (462 degrees Celsius) and a crushing pressure underneath an oppressively thick atmosphere.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
1 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
Aerate compacted and hard-to-wet lawns.—
Tom MacCubbin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
25 Apr. 2026
-
King Charles' younger sister is known for her tireless drive for royal duty, often ranked among the royal family's hardest-working members by count of official engagements recorded in The Court Circular.—
Janine Henni,
PEOPLE,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Brutally.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brutally. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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