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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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

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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

He was always destined to follow in the footsteps of another tyrannical, ruthless Don – Michael Corleone.

— Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 3 Sep. 2026
Ink finds the Sinners star playing ruthless tabloid editor Larry Lamb in Boyle’s retelling of what happened when Rupert Murdoch acquired struggling British newspaper The Sun.

— Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of ruthless

Noun

Making everyone a potential spy or assassin was only an expedient way to destroy institutions internally and externally through financial incentives.

— Finn Brunton, Harpers Magazine, 1 Sep. 2026
Skirting bravely around the edges of space to seek solace, they’re hunted by the Operative (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a deadly Alliance assassin on a mission who seeks to recapture her.

— Grace Dean, Space.com, 1 Sep. 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

And Alice’s superior, FBI agent Nora Washington (Quincy Tyler Bernstine), realizes that her corrupt boss Ed George (Danny McCarthy), who was covering up Easton’s crimes, will retain his ASAC position at the FBI.

— Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 31 Aug. 2026
That strategy allowed the Kremlin to publicly deny the existence of political repression while portraying the opposition as inherently corrupt.

— Andrei Soldatov, Foreign Affairs, 31 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

Fortune reported on the tactic a decade ago, when fraud accounted for roughly one in 10 cargo thefts, and food was the most attractive target, since it can be resold through unscrupulous distributors with no serial numbers to trace.

— Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2026
Lawrence Kasdan’s directorial debut is an erotic neo-noir thriller starring Kathleen Turner as the beguiling femme fatale Matty alongside William Hurt as an unscrupulous lawyer, Ned.

— Air Mail, Air Mail, 29 Aug. 2026