CUTTHROAT Synonyms: 59 Similar and Opposite Words

cutthroat 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of cutthroat

as in ruthless

not guided by or showing a concern for what is right cutthroat business practices intended to drive competitors out of business

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

cutthroat

2 of 2

noun

ˈkət-ˌthrōt

as in assassin

a person who kills another person while traveling the ancient Silk Road, traders were constant prey to cutthroats and thieves

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of cutthroat

Adjective

Angelina LookingGlass, Kurt Russell, Cole Sprouse, Jake Horowitz, Scott Shepherd, Rob Morgan and Tony Revolori also star in this dive into the unexpectedly cutthroat world of honey that world premiered to a rare standing ovation at SXSW. — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 14 Aug. 2026 Even on cutthroat Wall Street, Blackstone’s president tells Gen Z that just being nice could land them a promotion. — Kristin Stoller, Fortune, 20 July 2026

Noun

Coming off a cutthroat season that drew the most viewers back to the program in a decade, the competition coming this fall is already gearing up to be one for the books. — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 18 June 2026 Knowing the history of the cutthroat beer wars of the past is required to understand King Snedley’s unexpected appearance. — Bill Swank, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for cutthroat

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cutthroat

Adjective

Once the ruthless commander of Bosnian Serb forces, Mladic oversaw the siege of Sarajevo, mass killings and the 1995 Srebrenica massacre that left more than 8,000 Muslim men and boys dead.

— Jovana Gec, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026
The rest would kill her just for being her mother’s daughter, like Xaden Riorson, the most powerful and ruthless wingleader in the Riders Quadrant.

— Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of ruthless

Noun

The would-be assassin was arrested by police and led investigators to two members of a Russian mob network who had enlisted him on behalf of Iran.

— Cora Engelbrecht, New Yorker, 24 Aug. 2026
Bannerman centers on the eponymous Paul Bannerman, a lethal covert operative who convinces a group of the world’s most deadly assassins to quit the spy game for a chance to lead normal lives in the suburbs of Connecticut.

— Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of assassin

Noun

Austin Metcalf's father is speaking out for the first time after a judge denied denied his son's murderer -- Karmelo Anthony -- a request for a new trial for the fatal stabbing at a Texas high school track meet.

— ABC News, ABC News, 25 Aug. 2026
Buzzkill centers on a group of sorority sisters who end up trapped with a murderer.

— Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of murderer

Adjective

Postwar Germany ran a denazification program, for example, while recent elections in Ukraine ousted corrupt, pro-Moscow leaders.

— The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 24 Aug. 2026
Christian pleaded guilty in New Haven Superior Court to violating the corrupt organizations and racketeering act and conspiracy to commit first-degree larceny, the DCJ said.

— Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of corrupt

Noun

Furious, a thriller about a female FBI agent tracking a female serial killer loosely inspired by the 1987 movie Black Widow, was not the most obvious next step for her.

— Joy Press, Vanity Fair, 31 Aug. 2026
The biggest bear killers by far in Central Florida are motor vehicles, blamed for killing 1,545 bears in the region in the past 10 years, including 219 in 2025, the most since 2021 when 242 bears died on the region’s roadways.

— Stephen Hudak, The Orlando Sentinel, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of killer

Adjective

The stark truth is that unscrupulous athletic departments, sports agents, and conferences will slow roll and stonewall following the rules.

— U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Hartford Courant, 24 Aug. 2026
Haroon said early examples were often crude, produced cheaply by struggling artists working for unscrupulous dealers.

— Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 19 Aug. 2026