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
Instead, the Philippine independence movement was brutally suppressed.
—
Ron Chernow,
The Atlantic,
2 July 2026
On a brutally hot afternoon at MetLife Stadium, the site of the World Cup final in July 19, France outshot Sweden 25-7, including 15-3 in the first half.
—
CBS News,
1 July 2026
Memory is brutally cyclical, and a record quarter at peak pricing has historically been a warning as often as an invitation.
—
Jon Markman,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2026
The longer races are brutally hard, but Kerstin loves helping other runners pursue their personal bests.
—
William Finnegan,
New Yorker,
29 June 2026
Through tears, Rheanyra beheaded Otto, brutally, as her first cut wasn't clean.
—
Julia Moore,
PEOPLE,
29 June 2026
Eve Ridley’s Ruthye has just seen her whole family brutally murdered at the hands of the villainous Krem (Matthias Schoenaerts), the leader of a group of violent space marauders known as the Brigands.
—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
26 June 2026
The axe came down swiftly and brutally, but, speaking candidly, Geoff Daniels, PBS’ Vice President, Programming & Development, was gracious about it, thanking the audience of mostly media industry people for their camaraderie.
—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
25 June 2026
The attraction is brutally utilitarian rather than just mechanical.
—
Malana Vantyler,
USA Today,
24 June 2026
Ron Chernow,
The Atlantic,
2 July 2026
On a brutally hot afternoon at MetLife Stadium, the site of the World Cup final in July 19, France outshot Sweden 25-7, including 15-3 in the first half.
—
CBS News,
1 July 2026
Memory is brutally cyclical, and a record quarter at peak pricing has historically been a warning as often as an invitation.
—
Jon Markman,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2026
The longer races are brutally hard, but Kerstin loves helping other runners pursue their personal bests.
—
William Finnegan,
New Yorker,
29 June 2026
Through tears, Rheanyra beheaded Otto, brutally, as her first cut wasn't clean.
—
Julia Moore,
PEOPLE,
29 June 2026
Eve Ridley’s Ruthye has just seen her whole family brutally murdered at the hands of the villainous Krem (Matthias Schoenaerts), the leader of a group of violent space marauders known as the Brigands.
—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
26 June 2026
The axe came down swiftly and brutally, but, speaking candidly, Geoff Daniels, PBS’ Vice President, Programming & Development, was gracious about it, thanking the audience of mostly media industry people for their camaraderie.
—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
25 June 2026
The attraction is brutally utilitarian rather than just mechanical.
—
Malana Vantyler,
USA Today,
24 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brutally
Adverb
-
Overthinking and procrastination are two of the habits people confess to most readily and blame on themselves most harshly, and two of the habits most often misread.
-
That can be useful because jurors can be more reluctant to sentence a woman harshly, writes Victor Streib, a law professor at Elon University in North Carolina who has researched the treatment of women on death row.
Adverb
-
Atmos is already facing a lawsuit over the explosion from a resident who was severely burned.
-
Nearby Elephant Butte Lake, a draw for outdoorsy tourists, is so severely drought-depleted that sunbaked fish carcasses line its shores.
Adverb
-
The oppressively hot and steamy weather was no deterrent for the crowds that lined up along Crandon Boulevard on Saturday to celebrate America’s independence at Key Biscayne’s 67th Fourth of July parade.
-
Fortunately, this spell of hot temps will be a generally drier heat — not necessarily oppressively humid like is typical for New England.
Adverb
-
That means many households will be paying more per kilowatt-hour at the same time air conditioners are running longer and harder, a combination that can quickly drive up summer statements.
-
Progressive lawmakers had pushed hard for state leaders to protect health care for undocumented immigrants.
Cite this Entry
“Brutally.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brutally. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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