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.

For many cancer patients and their loved ones, it’s easier to expect the worst and hope for the best than it is to expect the best, only to be cruelly disappointed.

From Slate • Mar. 29, 2026

“The ophthalmologist did it very cruelly and quickly,” she recalled in an interview with the Foundation for Fighting Blindness, where she long served on the board and was chairwoman at the time of her death.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 12, 2026

I could grab another espresso to cruelly dunk my Boldúmen, but I have a better idea.

From Salon • Feb. 5, 2026

Paying tribute, Mark's family previously described him as a "true selfless hero with a heart of gold, who was so cruelly taken trying to save others".

From BBC • Jan. 6, 2026

“I wanted to know,” he repeated lightly, noncommittally, not knowing how cruelly he had hurt his mother.

From "Nectar in a Sieve" by Kamala Markandaya