cut·throat
ˈkət-ˌthrōt 
Examples of cutthroat in a Sentence
Noun
while traveling the ancient Silk Road, traders were constant prey to cutthroats and thieves
Adjective
cutthroat business practices intended to drive competitors out of business
Recent Examples on the Web
Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Jan. 2026
As with many reality series hailing from the late aughts, history has not looked too kindly upon cutthroat competition show America’s Next Top Model, a fact long acknowledged by host and supermodel Tyra Banks.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 26 Jan. 2026
Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Feb. 2026
Competition from the Chinese giant, Meituan, and regulatory fines for poor employment practices in the cutthroat world of moped and cycle delivery weighed on share price performance.
—Kamal Ahmed, Fortune, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cutthroat
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.
Noun
For all its cutthroat espionage and subterfuge, The Americans was always a show about family.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Jan. 2026
As with many reality series hailing from the late aughts, history has not looked too kindly upon cutthroat competition show America’s Next Top Model, a fact long acknowledged by host and supermodel Tyra Banks.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 26 Jan. 2026
Adjective
That's intimidating, because that's cutthroat, man.
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Feb. 2026
Competition from the Chinese giant, Meituan, and regulatory fines for poor employment practices in the cutthroat world of moped and cycle delivery weighed on share price performance.
—Kamal Ahmed, Fortune, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cutthroat
Cite this Entry
“Cutthroat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cutthroat. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
cutthroat
1 of 2 noun
cut·throat
ˈkət-ˌthrōt
1
: a person likely to cut someone's throat
2
: a cruel person with no scruples
cutthroat
2 of 2 adjective
: ruthless
cutthroat competition
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
