1
as in weak
lacking strength of will or character
a spineless man who let his wife make all the decisions
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in cowardly
having or showing a shameful lack of courage
spineless seamen who trembled at the first roar of the cannon
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of spineless
The cast has an abundance of exceptional performances from Kevin Kline (outstanding!), Lesley Manville, Sacha Baron Cohen (so good as Catherine’s spineless husband), and Kodi Smith-McPhee as their son.
—
Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 2 Sep. 2024
To the grave disappointment of the Iranian people and government, Europe has proved too inept and spineless to mitigate the effect of U.S. withdrawal by honoring its commitments under the JCPOA.
—Seyed Hossein Mousavian, Foreign Affairs, 12 July 2019
There was a time when the department would have pushed back on such drivel, but with a spineless, left-lib commissioner, that didn’t happen.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 26 Mar. 2024
The ceremony honors achievements, not in which film had the most spineless husband, but the film arts and technology, with Oppenheimer nabbing 13 nominations, followed by Poor Thingsat its heels with 11 nods.
—Zoe Guy, Vulture, 10 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for spineless 
Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 2 Sep. 2024
To the grave disappointment of the Iranian people and government, Europe has proved too inept and spineless to mitigate the effect of U.S. withdrawal by honoring its commitments under the JCPOA.
—Seyed Hossein Mousavian, Foreign Affairs, 12 July 2019
There was a time when the department would have pushed back on such drivel, but with a spineless, left-lib commissioner, that didn’t happen.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 26 Mar. 2024
The ceremony honors achievements, not in which film had the most spineless husband, but the film arts and technology, with Oppenheimer nabbing 13 nominations, followed by Poor Thingsat its heels with 11 nods.
—Zoe Guy, Vulture, 10 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for spineless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spineless
Adjective
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The team continues to play great with a different weak spot each season, so maybe that’s part of the excitement and drama of being a fan of the franchise now. · 5h 1m ago Thanks Chandler, good stuff as always.—
Chandler Rome,
The Athletic,
22 Jan. 2025
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Its economy is already facing a deepening malaise, brought on by a property crisis, mounting government debt and weak consumer spending.—
David Pierson,
New York Times,
22 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Instead, the anti-death penalty interests in this country conduct their arguments in insidious and even cowardly ways, all in effort to avoid a clear yes or no debate about the death penalty itself.—
Benedict Cosgrove,
Newsweek,
18 Dec. 2024
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Social media has erupted with praise for this cowardly attack.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
17 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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And the really jaw-dropping part of AMLO’s gutless abdication?—
Tim Padgett,
Sun Sentinel,
18 Aug. 2024
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Two baseballs flew down toward the San Diego Padres’ Jurickson Profar from the left-field corner stands, the gutless moves of two cowards.—
Bill Plaschke,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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These panels are made of multilayered laminated glass that will allow natural light to penetrate deep into the interior, creating a soft interplay of light and shadow intended to enhance the museum's atmosphere.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
21 Jan. 2025
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With a focus on soft, natural tones, sustainable materials and biophilic elements like plants and greenery, this trend transforms hospitality spaces into peaceful sanctuaries.—
Roger Sands,
Forbes,
21 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Democrats and Republicans are afraid that their civil rights and their civil liberties are in jeopardy and look to the courts to protect their 14th and 15th Amendment rights.—
John Yoo and John Shu,
Newsweek,
24 Jan. 2025
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Just look at the Salem Witch Trials, which targeted people who weren’t afraid to live somewhat unconventional lives, like women who were financially-independent or unmarried.—
Roya Backlund,
StyleCaster,
24 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Between the lines: One view is that these actions are simply craven pandering.—
Felix Salmon,
Axios,
13 Jan. 2025
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The main one is that the powerbrokers in the MLB offices are craven, and their souls have been replaced with line graphs going up and up and up.—
Grant Brisbee,
The Athletic,
18 July 2024
Adjective
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Mark Kelly Americans who are rightfully appalled by the pusillanimous response to anti-Semitism on college campuses have been pulling their donations and calling for restrictions on anti-Israel student groups.—
Arthur Levitt,
WSJ,
12 Nov. 2023
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Those clumsy tales revealed Chazelle’s pusillanimous career ambitions.—
Armond White,
National Review,
13 Jan. 2023
Adjective
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Growers reported a drop in workers showing up to their jobs, and advocacy groups saw a surge of frightened families show up to legal workshops on how to protect themselves against deportation.—
Rachel Uranga,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Jan. 2025
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When Julia arrived with a can of cat food, the first kitten had already been adopted, but the second—a frightened and feisty tabby—was still there.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
12 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Spineless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spineless. Accessed 2 Feb. 2025.
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