as in ruthless
having or showing a lack of sympathy or tender feelings
a case-hardened homicide detective who has seen it all
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for case-hardened
Adjective
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Sure, he’s driven by vengeance and ruthless in his pursuit, but — without spoiling anything — his motivation is clouded at best, misplaced at worst.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
30 Apr. 2026 -
Michael’s brother Sonny (James Caan) becomes the de facto crime boss as the Corleones prosecute a turf war against their rivals, and Michael eventually emerges as the new, and much more ruthless boss, much to the horror of his wife, Kay (Diane Keaton).—
David Faris,
TheWeek,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Fleeing into the desert with her father, she is hunted by a merciless army and forced to trust a legendary bandit (Mackie) with secrets of his own.—
Mark Meszoros,
Twin Cities,
25 Apr. 2026
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This commentary was not from a wonkish TikToker nor a network pundit but from TMZ, the merciless purveyor of celebrity dirt, which published the images of Graham after a citizen vacationer noticed the senator flitting through the theme park and sent pictures.—
Paula Mejía,
New Yorker,
15 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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In a vast stony tract of desert a three-hour drive south of Cairo, tucked between jagged black mountains and the glittering Gulf of Suez, a group of Chinese engineers is quietly rewiring Egypt’s energy strategy.—
Tim McDonnell,
semafor.com,
14 Apr. 2026
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Hikers can traverse the stony beds of Cliffy Creek and snap photos of the park's four iconic waterfalls.—
Joie Probst,
Midwest Living,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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With Todaro’s enthusiasm and input the idea crystalized.—
Jocheved Cohen,
Miami Herald,
30 Apr. 2026
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For Yakusho, the experience crystallized something fundamental about the craft.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In group chats and meetings, Republicans are privately petrified the Iran war could cost them the midterms.—
Elizabeth Robinson,
NBC news,
16 Apr. 2026
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The only issue is his mother Laura (Wright), a woman who has lost a child once before and is petrified of a repeat.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Sep. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Case-hardened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/case-hardened. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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