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cruel

[kroo-uhl] / ˈkru əl /


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.

But Jerry wants in his sputtering way to make amends to his brother for the cruel things he did to him when they were younger.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 3, 2026

That his hopefulness reads as synthetic or unrealistic is a broader indictment of how cruel the world has become, and how quickly we’ve accepted casual coldness as the norm.

From Salon • Jun. 2, 2026

Mark Joseph Stern: The Supreme Court held 25 years ago that it is cruel and unusual punishment in violation of the Eighth Amendment to execute intellectually disabled people.

From Slate • May 23, 2026

She speculates that its harsh reception may have to some degree gratified its author who, after all, “did mean to write a savage, cruel, and gloomy novel.”

From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026

Was he not going to let Alfhercht escape the tsar’s cruel injustice?

From Anya and the Nightingale by Sofiya Pasternack




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