1
as in losers
a big clumsy often slow-witted person
they looked like a tribe of Neanderthals compared to the bridegroom's patrician-looking family
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in barbarians
a man with crude manners and habits and outmoded attitudes
made the mistake of dining with some Neanderthal who repeatedly mistook his shirtsleeve for a napkin
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for Neanderthals
Noun
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The full order for picks 19-32 will be decided by playoff results — teams eliminated in the wild-card round will be placed into slots 19-24; divisional-round losers will hold picks 25-28, and so on.—
The Athletic NFL Staff, New York Times, 11 Jan. 2026
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Dominic Tierney is an expert on losers—in the best possible way.—
Noun
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We were inspired by their outrageous VHS cover art that promised epic tales of heroic barbarians rescuing buxom babes from giant monsters.—
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The Gauls had been described as barbarians by Julius Caesar and Livy, but now had become these Ur people, far more ancient and civilized than their ancient Roman detractors.—
Noun
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Lined up next to rookie left tackle Josh Simmons and veteran center Creed Humphrey, Suamataia took some lumps in the first two preseason games before settling in for a clean sheet in the third look against the Bears.—
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Learning how to tell if a cheesecake is properly baked or how to mix the batter free of lumps, are lifetime skills that will prove useful in the future.—
Noun
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Many wonders made the list, including royal burial grounds in Egypt, an Indonesian archipelago of 1,500 islands and Turkish cliffs formerly inhabited by Bronze Age troglodytes (cave dwellers).—
Noun
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On Monday, the Prairie Village City Council voted to adopt a conditional license for Oakley Reign — a spider monkey that’s recently been ushered into the spotlight as the northeast Johnson County city considered changing its definition of dangerous wild animals to include all monkeys.—
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Infected but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans.—
Noun
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Can't believe that after 10 years of us basing our most damning investigations on cell phone data, these idiots are still doing it.—
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That's the deterrent for the idiots.—
Noun
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Overwhelmingly, though, the most common response was to seek confirmation of their suspicions that Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers were morons.—
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There are worse things than watching Black, Rudd, and Zahn play three gormless morons on a mid-life misadventure, but almost every scene and setpiece is constructed with a haphazardness that blunders away their charm.—
Noun
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Thiols are responsible for the distinctive aromas of skunk spray and ripe durian; they’re also added to natural gas to provide a detectable rotten-egg smell at even trace levels.—
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Some owls will hunt the wildlife that raids our garbage cans, like skunks and opossums.—
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Cite this Entry
“Neanderthals.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/Neanderthals. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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