cutthroat
Brutal and unsparing
Cutthroat describes ruthless competition where participants show no mercy: cutthroat business practices, a cutthroat industry.
The image is of someone willing to slit throats to win.
As a noun, a cutthroat is a murderer or assassin.
Cutthroat trout, a species native to western North America, has red markings under its jaw resembling a slashed throat.
Showing no clemency
- pitilessLacking any compassion
- cold-bloodedUnfeeling or externally heated
- heartlessLacking pity or mercy
- remorselessLacking guilt or pity
brutal · vicious · savage · unforgiving · relentless · unsparing · cruel · callous
Paid murderer of targets
- murdererOne who unlawfully kills
- killerOne who causes death
- hitmanProfessional paid murderer
- thugViolent criminal
bandit · pirate · outlaw · brigand · villain · ruffian · goon · henchman
Ongoing contest between opponents
- tournamentMulti-round competitive event
- eliminationAct of removing entirely
- head-to-headIn direct confrontation
- zero-sumBalanced gains and losses
winner-take-all · knockout · survival · rankings · challenge · contest · matchup · playoffs
Of or relating to companies
- Wall StreetAmerican finance hub
- hostile takeoverUnwanted corporate buyout attempt
- price warCompeting via discounts
- undercuttingCharging less than rivals
monopoly · market share · startup · Silicon Valley · dealmaking · merger · acquisition · boardroom
Folding blade for shaving
Salmon-family fish
- YellowstoneOriginal U.S. national park
- Snake RiverNorthwestern tributary waterway
- nativeOriginating from a place
- spottedSeen or patterned
spawning · fly-fishing · catch-and-release · angling · stream · Bonneville · Rio Grande · greenback
merciless
Showing no clemency
- pitilessLacking any compassion
- cold-bloodedUnfeeling or externally heated
- heartlessLacking pity or mercy
remorseless · brutal · vicious · savage · unforgiving · relentless · unsparing · cruel · callous · harsh
assassin
Paid murderer of targets
thug · bandit · pirate · outlaw · brigand · villain · ruffian · goon · henchman · mercenary
rivalry
Ongoing contest between opponents
- tournamentMulti-round competitive event
- eliminationAct of removing entirely
- head-to-headIn direct confrontation
zero-sum · winner-take-all · knockout · survival · rankings · challenge · contest · matchup · playoffs · underdog
corporate
Of or relating to companies
- Wall StreetAmerican finance hub
- hostile takeoverUnwanted corporate buyout attempt
- price warCompeting via discounts
undercutting · monopoly · market share · startup · Silicon Valley · dealmaking · merger · acquisition · boardroom · leveraged
straight razor
Folding blade for shaving
sharp · slit · edge · steel · honing · strop · vintage · folding
salmonid
Salmon-family fish
- YellowstoneOriginal U.S. national park
- Snake RiverNorthwestern tributary waterway
- nativeOriginating from a place
spotted · spawning · fly-fishing · catch-and-release · angling · stream · Bonneville · Rio Grande · greenback · subspecies
- combat idiomsstab in the back, dodge a bullet, in the crosshairs, fire away, take a shot
- basketballbasketball, rebound, dunk, basketball camps, dribble
- Piratespirate, buccaneer, corsair, corsairs, privateers
- competition metaphorslevel playing field, race to the bottom, win-win, rat race, front runner
- competitivenessrivalry, vying, contending, outdoing, outperforming
- freshwater fishsalmon, trout, bass, catfish, carp
cutthroatprincipled
Having strong moral beliefs
scrupulous · ethical · moral · honorable · virtuous
cutthroatcooperative
Jointly operated enterprise
collaborative · collegial · supportive · noncompetitive · friendly
cutthroatmerciful
Disposed toward forgiveness
compassionate · kind · considerate · benevolent · humane
- cutthroat mentalityWillingness to harm others to succeed
- cutthroat troutNative western fish, marked jaw