as in mercilessly
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Recent Examples of ruthlessly
Underdog sides have generally attempted to build up methodically with the ball, but any lapses of concentration have been ruthlessly punished by attackers who press hard and counter-attack quickly.
—
Mark Carey,
New York Times,
28 June 2026
Leaders must immediately audit burn rate, freeze nonessential spend, tighten inventory cycles and reforecast ruthlessly.
—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2026
In Britain, all the large predators had long since been exterminated and the smaller ones (like foxes) were ruthlessly persecuted.
—
Matthew Wills,
JSTOR Daily,
22 June 2026
This episode is hilarious, but it’s been so ruthlessly hacked down to giggle moments and ironic smash-cuts that important action and context are missing.
—
Tasha Robinson,
Vulture,
16 June 2026
Beijing also has encouraged companies to compete ruthlessly against each other at home.
—
Paul Wiseman,
ABC News,
15 June 2026
With his rakish sneer and ruthlessly tight jodhpurs, Rupert has been thoroughly neutered with irony, transformed into an object for women to pick at.
—
Sophie Gilbert,
The Atlantic,
10 June 2026
Unfortunately, Angelus finds out and ruthlessly snaps her neck, smashing the orb for good measure.
—
ArsTechnica,
7 June 2026
Here are six times Hannah and Paige ruthlessly roasted each other's fashion faux pas.
—
Caroline Killilea,
PEOPLE,
3 June 2026
Mark Carey,
New York Times,
28 June 2026
Leaders must immediately audit burn rate, freeze nonessential spend, tighten inventory cycles and reforecast ruthlessly.
—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2026
In Britain, all the large predators had long since been exterminated and the smaller ones (like foxes) were ruthlessly persecuted.
—
Matthew Wills,
JSTOR Daily,
22 June 2026
This episode is hilarious, but it’s been so ruthlessly hacked down to giggle moments and ironic smash-cuts that important action and context are missing.
—
Tasha Robinson,
Vulture,
16 June 2026
Beijing also has encouraged companies to compete ruthlessly against each other at home.
—
Paul Wiseman,
ABC News,
15 June 2026
With his rakish sneer and ruthlessly tight jodhpurs, Rupert has been thoroughly neutered with irony, transformed into an object for women to pick at.
—
Sophie Gilbert,
The Atlantic,
10 June 2026
Unfortunately, Angelus finds out and ruthlessly snaps her neck, smashing the orb for good measure.
—
ArsTechnica,
7 June 2026
Here are six times Hannah and Paige ruthlessly roasted each other's fashion faux pas.
—
Caroline Killilea,
PEOPLE,
3 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruthlessly
Adverb
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The second Test was all over rapidly and mercilessly on Sunday when Matt Henry took the remaining five wickets within the first hour to finish with 11 in the match.
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Some commentators’ dark horses for the tournament, Norway qualified from Europe with a perfect record, pillaging goals at will, while mercilessly dispatching opponents.
Adverb
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The first hour, set at a resort that’s like a singles cruise through the Twilight Zone (or Bachelor in Paradise beamed in from a brutal alternate universe), contains some of the most pitilessly funny scenes of the filmmaker’s career.
Adverb
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Victim Nyron Shaw’s father said the driver who mowed his son down last year in Ocean Hill a day before Independence Day should face the maximum penalty for allegedly driving twice the speed limit and heartlessly taking off, leaving his son to die.
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In the process, Joel heartlessly killed some innocent people, including medical professionals.
Adverb
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Any party member who seeks to defy his wishes risks losing a seat, being unmercifully gaslit, or trashed on Truth Social.
-
Now my son is dead after suffering unmercifully.
Adverb
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The department was known to operate callously, firing people by email or locking them out of buildings.
-
Altman accused of making ChatGPT unsafe The lawsuit joins prior suits accusing Altman of callously deploying AI systems without regard for user safety.
Adverb
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Kahlo vibrantly and unsparingly depicted herself and events from her life, which was upended by a bus accident at 18.
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Kahlo vibrantly and unsparingly depicted herself and events from her life, which was upended by a bus accident at 18.
Adverb
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Instead, the Philippine independence movement was brutally suppressed.
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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.
Adverb
-
For her next project, she’s headed as far from there as humanly (or inhumanly) possible.
Cite this Entry
“Ruthlessly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruthlessly. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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