cut·throat
ˈkət-ˌthrōt 
Examples of cutthroat in a Sentence
Noun
while traveling the ancient Silk Road, traders were constant prey to cutthroats and thieves
Adjective
cutthroat business practices intended to drive competitors out of business
Recent Examples on the Web
Samantha Subin, CNBC, 31 May 2025
The film promises a tantalizing time but ultimately fails to deliver, as nothing that comes after that opening is as clean or cutthroat.
—Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 28 May 2025
Dev Patnaik, Forbes.com, 22 Apr. 2025
The sybaritic highwayman Macheath maneuvers between a cutthroat capitalist milieu (Mr. and Mrs. Peachum) and a corrupt police force (led by Tiger Brown) while seducing daughters from both worlds (Polly Peachum and Lucy Brown).
—Alex Ross, New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2025
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Noun
Since starting DoorDash on the campus of Stanford University in 2013, the now 40-year-old CEO has navigated the notoriously cutthroat and low-margin business of food delivery, building a company that Wall Street today values at close to $90 billion.
—Samantha Subin, CNBC, 31 May 2025
The film promises a tantalizing time but ultimately fails to deliver, as nothing that comes after that opening is as clean or cutthroat.
—Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 28 May 2025
Adjective
Walmart’s buying team can be notoriously cutthroat, with a razor focus on squeezing suppliers on price.
—Dev Patnaik, Forbes.com, 22 Apr. 2025
The sybaritic highwayman Macheath maneuvers between a cutthroat capitalist milieu (Mr. and Mrs. Peachum) and a corrupt police force (led by Tiger Brown) while seducing daughters from both worlds (Polly Peachum and Lucy Brown).
—Alex Ross, New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cutthroat
Cite this Entry
“Cutthroat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cutthroat. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
cutthroat
1 of 2 noun
cut·throat
ˈkət-ˌthrōt
1
: a person likely to cut someone's throat
2
: a cruel person with no scruples
cutthroat
2 of 2 adjective
: ruthless
cutthroat competition
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