as in brute
having or showing the nature and appetites of a lower animal
as the months of recurrent combat dragged on, the daily existence of the soldiers became increasingly brutish
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Recent Examples of brutish
The findings add to a growing body of evidence that Neanderthals — our closest extinct human relatives — were cognitively and psychologically more similar to modern humans than previously thought, rather than the simple-minded, brutish cavemen of earlier stereotypes.
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Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
13 May 2026
As young girls begin to go missing, Iris falls in with a shadowy, brutish painter Louis (George Webster) who promises her an education in the arts.
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Peter White,
Deadline,
28 Apr. 2026
The people running things are nasty, brutish and eager to appeal to baser instincts rather than better angels.
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Brent Lang,
Variety,
22 Apr. 2026
Unlike other crimes that use hacking or social engineering scams to access victims’ funds remotely, wrench attacks rely on more brutish methods of coercion like kidnapping and torture.
—
Megan Cassidy,
San Francisco Chronicle,
3 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for brutish
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
13 May 2026
As young girls begin to go missing, Iris falls in with a shadowy, brutish painter Louis (George Webster) who promises her an education in the arts.
—
Peter White,
Deadline,
28 Apr. 2026
The people running things are nasty, brutish and eager to appeal to baser instincts rather than better angels.
—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
22 Apr. 2026
Unlike other crimes that use hacking or social engineering scams to access victims’ funds remotely, wrench attacks rely on more brutish methods of coercion like kidnapping and torture.
—
Megan Cassidy,
San Francisco Chronicle,
3 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for brutish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brutish
Adjective
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The broader implication is that AI infrastructure is no longer evolving solely toward brute-force scale.
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Femi regained control, tossing Uso to the mat with his brute strength.
Adjective
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And Addy, perhaps the most brutal American Girl story, is enslaved.
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In January, the government suppressed huge nationwide protests in a brutal crackdown that left thousands dead.
Cite this Entry
“Brutish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brutish. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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