as in ruthless
having or showing a lack of sympathy or tender feelings
a theater critic with a take-no-prisoners approach to reviewing Broadway's latest offerings
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Recent Examples of take-no-prisoners
But Groff’s take-no-prisoners performance as nightclub superstar Bobby Darin is pure Broadway, and thoroughly – and more than justifiably – winning.
—
Greg Evans, Deadline, 6 June 2025
Harrison confidently adopts the take-no-prisoners physicality that makes Zephyr a worthy foe for Tucker, but her line readings are bland, doing nothing to enliven the basic script by Nick Lepard.
—Esther Zuckerman, IndieWire, 17 May 2025
Elon Musk embodies it in all its brash, take-no-prisoners glory.
—Leisse Wilcox, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025
And no one can remain beautiful, in the same way, forever, though Kilmer’s mischievous, take-no-prisoners smile hadn’t changed much.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 2 Apr. 2025
My mother is a take-no-prisoners kind of woman; in fact, all the women in my family are bulldozers.
—Anna Lee Iijima, Chicago Tribune, 18 Mar. 2025
Allen Iverson, another take-no-prisoners competitor, had 35 for the East.
—Jerry McDonald, The Mercury News, 14 Feb. 2025
For Aladdin, Disney’s team built on the take-no-chances, take-no-prisoners lessons of its Broadway predecessors to all but guarantee a quality hit.
—Vulture Editors, Vulture, 4 Feb. 2025
With its mile-a-minute pace, commitment to political incorrectness, and acerbic, expletive-laden dialogue, Veep is a far cry from the sunnier comedies on this list, skewering every facet of the political process with a take-no-prisoners attitude.
—Taylor Antrim, Vogue, 31 Jan. 2025
Greg Evans, Deadline, 6 June 2025
Harrison confidently adopts the take-no-prisoners physicality that makes Zephyr a worthy foe for Tucker, but her line readings are bland, doing nothing to enliven the basic script by Nick Lepard.
—Esther Zuckerman, IndieWire, 17 May 2025
Elon Musk embodies it in all its brash, take-no-prisoners glory.
—Leisse Wilcox, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025
And no one can remain beautiful, in the same way, forever, though Kilmer’s mischievous, take-no-prisoners smile hadn’t changed much.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 2 Apr. 2025
My mother is a take-no-prisoners kind of woman; in fact, all the women in my family are bulldozers.
—Anna Lee Iijima, Chicago Tribune, 18 Mar. 2025
Allen Iverson, another take-no-prisoners competitor, had 35 for the East.
—Jerry McDonald, The Mercury News, 14 Feb. 2025
For Aladdin, Disney’s team built on the take-no-chances, take-no-prisoners lessons of its Broadway predecessors to all but guarantee a quality hit.
—Vulture Editors, Vulture, 4 Feb. 2025
With its mile-a-minute pace, commitment to political incorrectness, and acerbic, expletive-laden dialogue, Veep is a far cry from the sunnier comedies on this list, skewering every facet of the political process with a take-no-prisoners attitude.
—Taylor Antrim, Vogue, 31 Jan. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for take-no-prisoners
Adjective
-
Son Hee is one half of a ruthless twin assassin duo, working alongside his brother Bacho.—
Allison DeGrushe Published,
EW.com,
14 July 2025
-
Her 6-0, 6-0 rout at the hands of a ruthless Iga Świątek was a reminder that no sport is more psychologically brutal than tennis.—
Charlie Eccleshare,
New York Times,
12 July 2025
Adjective
-
Private equity moving into professional sports conjures the same fears of merciless efficiency in an industry driven by sentimentality, but Arougheti brushes off the concerns, arguing that institutional capital will increase profitability and allow owners to invest more in their teams.—
Leo Schwartz,
Fortune,
21 July 2025
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Beyond the numbers is the human toll of Trump’s merciless campaign.—
South Florida Sun Sentinel,
Sun Sentinel,
21 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Take-no-prisoners.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/take-no-prisoners. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
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