1
as in weak
lacking strength of will or character
a spineless man who let his wife make all the decisions
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in cowardly
having or showing a shameful lack of courage
spineless seamen who trembled at the first roar of the cannon
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of spineless
Matt and his direct reports quickly reveal themselves to be spineless, self-important, thin-skinned, and out of touch.
—
Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 5 May 2025
Maybe, when seeing these mass rallies, spineless congressional Republicans might fear for their jobs more from the people than the dictator-in-chief.
—Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 12 May 2025
Some great options include small palms, hardy banana, cannas, hibiscus, spineless succulents, bedding flowers, and grasses.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 7 May 2025
Even some spineless Republicans in Congress—who should be carrying President Trump's flag—are trembling instead of cheering his fight for America's soul.
—Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spineless
Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 5 May 2025
Maybe, when seeing these mass rallies, spineless congressional Republicans might fear for their jobs more from the people than the dictator-in-chief.
—Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 12 May 2025
Some great options include small palms, hardy banana, cannas, hibiscus, spineless succulents, bedding flowers, and grasses.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 7 May 2025
Even some spineless Republicans in Congress—who should be carrying President Trump's flag—are trembling instead of cheering his fight for America's soul.
—Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spineless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spineless
Adjective
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This weak cash generation capability raises questions about the company’s ability to fund growth investments and return capital to shareholders.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
21 July 2025
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Those weak harvests, in turn, are due to drought and high temperatures and more generally climate change, which has negatively impacted coffee harvests for several years.—
Jaclyn Diaz,
NPR,
21 July 2025
Adjective
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Those cowardly films ignore the ideological confusion and moral bankruptcy that precede political and creative failure.—
Armond White,
National Review,
4 July 2025
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And unlike the cowardly ambiguity and doubletalk toward Iran and its nuclear program in the past by Barack Obama, John Kerry, Joe Biden and Antony Blinken, Trump was clear as a bell.—
Peter Lucas,
Boston Herald,
4 July 2025
Adjective
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Listen, by doing it this way, with a press release instead of a press conference, Rose looks both gutless and gutty at the same time.—
Mike Lupica,
New York Daily News,
6 June 2025
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Two baseballs flew down toward the San Diego Padres’ Jurickson Profar from the left-field corner stands, the gutless moves of two cowards.—
Bill Plaschke,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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The song now holds deeper meaning for her parents and little brother, Luca. Swifties around the world rallied to send Lily friendship bracelets — enough to fill seven pool noodles — along with cards, bedazzled mementos and soft cardigans.—
Bryan West,
The Tennessean,
1 Aug. 2025
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Each room of the historic guest house was transformed into a different Chanel mood—bouclé textures, blush tones, camellia accents, and soft jazz floating through the air.—
Erica Wertheim Zohar,
Forbes.com,
1 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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If getting this set up on your own sounds daunting, don’t be afraid to ask for help, McCoy says.—
Ryan Ermey,
CNBC,
23 July 2025
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Although Indiana has not experienced an immigration raid at this scale, community leaders shared that many in migrant communities are afraid that they may potentially be picked up off the street and deported, whether rightfully or not.—
Noe Padilla,
IndyStar,
23 July 2025
Adjective
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Put simply, Johnson is the more coveted commodity on a craven reliever market at the trade deadline.—
Zach Pressnell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 July 2025
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While health care and food assistance command the most attention, the craven assault on clean energy cannot be minimized.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
3 July 2025
Adjective
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Some also have lost lawyers, dismayed by the pusillanimous behavior of their leaders.—
Michael Hiltzik,
Los Angeles Times,
28 May 2025
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The second believed the United States could attain comprehensive security through military-technological means and saw diplomacy as a quixotic or pusillanimous enterprise that dishonored and weakened the country.—
A. Wess Mitchell,
Foreign Affairs,
22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Not surprisingly, the woman being targeted by the scams was extremely frightened.—
Susan Tompor,
USA Today,
30 July 2025
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Many people may be intrinsically frightened of robots.—
Bernard Marr,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spineless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spineless. Accessed 5 Aug. 2025.
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