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
When their convoy is brutally ambushed, they are left handcuffed together and, on the run, forcing her to put her life in his hands.
—
Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 14 May 2026
Sikkema was found brutally murdered in January 2024 in his Rio de Janeiro apartment.
—Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 14 May 2026
Ken Russell’s brutally intense movie received X-ratings, trims, and limited release its first time out in 1971 in the US.
—Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 13 May 2026
Both women were mothers of two who were brutally raped and murdered during prolonged attacks in their homes, police say.
—Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 13 May 2026
Fan speculation ran rampant about the apparent return of Matt’s old law partner, Foggy Nelson (Elden Henson), brutally gunned down at the start of the series’s pilot episode.
—ArsTechnica, 13 May 2026
LoBue, whose older sister Rosellina was brutally stabbed to death in 1987 by Erik Chatman, fiercely objected to the resentencing, and last month, Chatman was further resentenced to a 25-year prison term and immediate parole eligibility, to head off a prospective retrial.
—Caelyn Pender, Mercury News, 13 May 2026
The Broncos started off brutally sluggish in that famous Week 7 game, before exploding for a franchise-record 33 fourth-quarter points.
—Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 13 May 2026
Today’s moon in Aries energizes your communication sector, making conversations blunt, brutally frank and emotionally charged.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 13 May 2026
Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 14 May 2026
Sikkema was found brutally murdered in January 2024 in his Rio de Janeiro apartment.
—Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 14 May 2026
Ken Russell’s brutally intense movie received X-ratings, trims, and limited release its first time out in 1971 in the US.
—Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 13 May 2026
Both women were mothers of two who were brutally raped and murdered during prolonged attacks in their homes, police say.
—Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 13 May 2026
Fan speculation ran rampant about the apparent return of Matt’s old law partner, Foggy Nelson (Elden Henson), brutally gunned down at the start of the series’s pilot episode.
—ArsTechnica, 13 May 2026
LoBue, whose older sister Rosellina was brutally stabbed to death in 1987 by Erik Chatman, fiercely objected to the resentencing, and last month, Chatman was further resentenced to a 25-year prison term and immediate parole eligibility, to head off a prospective retrial.
—Caelyn Pender, Mercury News, 13 May 2026
The Broncos started off brutally sluggish in that famous Week 7 game, before exploding for a franchise-record 33 fourth-quarter points.
—Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 13 May 2026
Today’s moon in Aries energizes your communication sector, making conversations blunt, brutally frank and emotionally charged.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 13 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brutally
Adverb
-
Intense protests related to economic issues broke out in Iran in early 2026, but were harshly quelled.—
Alex Sundby,
CBS News,
18 May 2026
-
Later, people tell me that the police interrogated her like a potential suspect—not harshly, just because of standard procedure.—
Akash Kapur,
New Yorker,
12 May 2026
Adverb
-
Duren severely underperformed in the postseason after having a career year.—
Hunter Patterson,
New York Times,
18 May 2026
-
And because harpies rely on large emergent trees for nesting and an extensive, continuous canopy for hunting, even partial deforestation will severely disrupt their ability to breed and forage.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
17 May 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
-
The right idea should expand your world without making your life harder to manage.—
Tarot.com,
Chicago Tribune,
17 May 2026
-
Being shut out of public spaces and opportunities makes reintegration harder, not easier.—
Shianne LeClaire,
Hartford Courant,
17 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Brutally.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brutally. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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