as in ruthless
not guided by or showing a concern for what is right
cutthroat business practices intended to drive competitors out of business
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in assassin
a person who kills another person
while traveling the ancient Silk Road, traders were constant prey to cutthroats and thieves
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cutthroat
Patrick Radden Keefe, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
Dimples, khaki shorts, and the mind behind the show’s cutthroat challenges, this shirt nods to Probst and his long run as executive producer and host of Survivor.
—Brittany Anas, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Apr. 2026
Erin Tan, NBC news, 4 Apr. 2026
The state support that helped China become the global leader in affordable EVs has also created a cutthroat landscape for its homegrown carmakers, many of which are now struggling to survive in an oversupplied market.
—Stephanie Yang, CNN Money, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cutthroat
Adjective
And the competition is cutthroat.
—Patrick Radden Keefe, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
Dimples, khaki shorts, and the mind behind the show’s cutthroat challenges, this shirt nods to Probst and his long run as executive producer and host of Survivor.
—Brittany Anas, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Apr. 2026
Noun
Young people in China face a cutthroat job market and are trying to stay competitive amid slowing economic growth.
—Erin Tan, NBC news, 4 Apr. 2026
The state support that helped China become the global leader in affordable EVs has also created a cutthroat landscape for its homegrown carmakers, many of which are now struggling to survive in an oversupplied market.
—Stephanie Yang, CNN Money, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cutthroat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cutthroat
Adjective
-
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
Noun
-
And why was the would-be assassin’s body cremated so quickly without an autopsy?—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Caine’s movie comes after Ana de Armas starred in last year’s Ballerina, the first non-Wick standalone title in the franchise, about a young Ruska Roma assassin seeking vengeance for her father.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Pope Francis changed the church’s social teaching to declare capital punishment immoral in all cases.—
Nicole Winfield,
Fortune,
23 Apr. 2026
-
For him, in becoming photosynthetic, civilized beings would only gain in hallmarks of intelligence, like autonomy and compassion, given that a species living off starlight converts energy to work without the messy, immoral mediation of a food chain.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
22 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The comedy is instead more deadpan, with Rhys playing the flustered straight man against a (sometimes literal) murderer’s row of ensemble members and guest stars.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
29 Apr. 2026
-
And though the local history museum is nothing but artifacts of atrocities (old newspaper report of cannibalism, a murderer’s mask), only Wyck (Stephen Root, great as always) sees anything paranormal in it, and he’s generally written off as a drunk.—
Television Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
According to a federal indictment, Maduro and his alleged co-conspirators spent decades working alongside some of the world’s most violent drug traffickers and corrupt regional officials to funnel large quantities of cocaine into the United States.—
Mirna Alsharif,
NBC news,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Jackson argued that Burt Jones' work in the legislature was further evidence that the lieutenant governor is corrupt, a message that the health care tycoon is pushing in advertising too.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The person who had called in the incident identified Sweeney, who was still there, as her killer.—
Theresa Braine,
New York Daily News,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Pull weeds from clover by hand—avoid weed killers.—
Lee Wallender,
The Spruce,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Earlier this month, the New Yorker magazine published a profile that painted him as an unscrupulous executive.—
Michael Liedtke,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
-
When an unscrupulous business associate stole money out of the couple’s business account, forcing them to close ESO, the community rallied their support and raised funds on GoFundMe to keep it open.—
Timothy DePeugh,
Charlotte Observer,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Practically all the public’s attention has been on the president and his oddball or vengeful or unprincipled actions.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Apr. 2026
-
How pathetically far this blithering, unprincipled piece of trash has gone to endanger other lives, to expressly distract and deflect from his own wicked deeds, and to further benefit his grifting family’s larcenously enlarged bounties.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
8 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cutthroat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cutthroat. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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