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Synonyms

cutthroat

American  
[kuht-throht] / ˈkʌtˌθroʊt /

noun

  1. a person who cuts the throat of another; a murderer.

adjective

  1. murderous.

  2. ruthless.

    cutthroat competition.

  3. pertaining to a game, as of cards, in which each of three or more persons acts and scores as an individual.

Etymology

Origin of cutthroat

First recorded in 1525–35; cut + throat

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

German carmaker Mercedes-Benz reported Thursday its lowest annual profit since the Covid pandemic, as it counted the cost of US tariffs and cutthroat competition in China.

From Barron's • Feb. 12, 2026

But making it to the top, like they have, is tough in what has become a cutthroat K-pop industry.

From BBC • Feb. 6, 2026

While outwardly glamorous, working at a luxury store can be cutthroat.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 25, 2025

Streams like these were once suitable habitat for native Lahontan cutthroat trout.

From Salon • Dec. 4, 2025

On top of that, I gotta be just as cutthroat, and I better not show weakness.

From "On the Come Up" by Angie Thomas

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.