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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.

The Hartford metropolitan area, with a population of 1.2 million, is the most cutthroat home buying market in the U.S., according to Zillow’s 2026 ranking.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

Many other famous people have done that, even in Banks’ famously cutthroat industry.

From Salon • Feb. 20, 2026

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

It’s also before things get cutthroat and they really have to eliminate each other.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 11, 2026

“We had one fish in there, old Yellow Belly, a cutthroat, that must have weighed fifteen pounds.”

From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols

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.