as in cruel
likely to seek revenge
be careful not to annoy the vindictive old woman who lives down the street
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of vindictive
Meanwhile, in Oxford, Mississippi, an equally giddy and slightly more vindictive fanbase had all of about 30 minutes to celebrate their team’s win.
—
Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 9 Jan. 2026
Who is not petty or vindictive.
—Chicago Tribune, 2 Jan. 2026
Those people who then got their box taken away were really, authentically upset, hurt and angry and vindictive about it.
—Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 17 Dec. 2025
Comey has pleaded innocent, denied having made a false statement and accused the Justice Department of a vindictive prosecution.
—Arkansas Online, 14 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for vindictive
Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 9 Jan. 2026
Who is not petty or vindictive.
—Chicago Tribune, 2 Jan. 2026
Those people who then got their box taken away were really, authentically upset, hurt and angry and vindictive about it.
—Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 17 Dec. 2025
Comey has pleaded innocent, denied having made a false statement and accused the Justice Department of a vindictive prosecution.
—Arkansas Online, 14 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for vindictive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vindictive
Adjective
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Decades later, in a cruel twist of fate, the Guthrie family is no longer pantomiming a kidnapping.—
Chelsea Bailey,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Rojas was never treated by a physician while at El Helicoide, where human rights groups have denounced cases of cruel, inhuman treatment and torture.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
7 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The Russian general was one of several GRU officials sanctioned by the United States in 2016 for wide-ranging malicious cyber activity directed at undermining US democratic processes.—
Anna Chernova,
CNN Money,
6 Feb. 2026
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The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious links that install malware, potentially accessing your private information, is to have strong antivirus software installed on all your devices.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Lamont has so far skillfully navigated the erratic, unilateral and sometimes vengeful policy pronouncements from Washington.—
Kevin Rennie,
Hartford Courant,
7 Feb. 2026
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Blunt is at her most formidable in vengeful mother mode, and The English’s dark, foreboding atmosphere will haunt you in the best possible fashion.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Catherine’s brother Hindley, a vicious bully whose abuse is part of what drives Cathy and Heathcliff so closely together, is cut entirely, his role combined with Catherine’s father.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
13 Feb. 2026
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Everyone is fair game for her vicious tongue.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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DeMar DeRozan had 32, Russell Westbrook had a revengeful 22 and Malik Monk had 26 off the bench.—
Zach Harper,
New York Times,
13 Jan. 2026
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Brian Heil played Don Jose with angst and ultimately, revengeful rage as Carmen’s spurned lover.—
Marcia Luttrell,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
21 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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This is not the first time that Peacock has taken to social media to ask viewers to refrain from sending hateful messages.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
25 Jan. 2026
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Since 2004, Orange County also has been predominantly nonwhite, but some conservative families, such as Woodward’s, bond over a hateful ideology.—
The Week US,
TheWeek,
22 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The hostile bid came as Nexstar Media Group agreed to acquire Tegna, in a $6 billion transaction that would run afoul of the FCC’s 39% ownership cap; Nexstar has filed for a waiver to the ownership cap.—
Todd Spangler,
Variety,
11 Feb. 2026
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The 31-year-old Puerto Rican singer’s celebration of Hispanic culture could hardly have arrived at a more hostile moment for Latinos.—
Andres Oppenheimer,
Miami Herald,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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But Putin was not going to launch a new war against Turkey’s rebel allies just to save a petty dictator whose own soldiers were deserting.—
Robert F. Worth,
The Atlantic,
6 Feb. 2026
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Ruling like a petty tyrant from the company’s headquarters in lower Manhattan, Coplan isn’t an easy boss to work with, according to new reporting by the Wall Street Journal.—
Joe Wilkins Published Feb 4,
Futurism,
4 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Vindictive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vindictive. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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