1
as in weak
lacking strength of will or character
a spineless man who let his wife make all the decisions
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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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Recent Examples of spineless
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.
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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
As events veer into seemingly dangerous territory, Baker spices up the scenes with throwaway humor that keeps the film buoyant, even as Ani gets a rude awakening about the shallowness of spineless Ivan’s feelings for her, let alone his respect.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for spineless 
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
As events veer into seemingly dangerous territory, Baker spices up the scenes with throwaway humor that keeps the film buoyant, even as Ani gets a rude awakening about the shallowness of spineless Ivan’s feelings for her, let alone his respect.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for spineless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spineless
Adjective
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Scene-to-scene continuity is typically weak and telling.Lance Eliot, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
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Capasa noted that a negative third quarter impacted by weak internal demand, the slowdown of purchases from Chinese customers and overall geopolitical instability kept worsening the cautious scenario already registered in the first half of the year.Sandra Salibian, WWD, 11 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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During an interview on the debut episode of Sean with Sean Hannity on Tuesday, December 3, the actor admitted that sending a breakup letter to now-wife Jennifer Flavin via FedEx in 1994 was a cowardly move.Jason Fields, Newsweek, 5 Dec. 2024
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Build Hagrid’s hut, play as the cowardly dog Fang, and help the famous trio find out what Draco Malfoy is up to.Mia Huelsbeck, People.com, 1 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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The ones that come to mind for us are easily Beyond Yoga’s super soft, smooth Spacedye tights.Sara Coughlin, SELF, 10 Dec. 2024
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It’s packed with nourishing ingredients and leaves lips soft and hydrated overnight.Jacquelyn Smith, Parents, 10 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Hit lists with images of bullets are circulating online with warnings that industry leaders should be afraid.Devna Bose and John Seewer, Los Angeles Times, 13 Dec. 2024
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Expect lowball offers to come in here and there—and don't be deterred by them or afraid to turn them down.Michael Gargiulo, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Kyle Beach’s courage and humanity is in sharp contrast with the craven men who failed him (Photo: Jonathan Daniel / Getty Images) Get all-access to exclusive stories.Mark Lazerus, The Athletic, 24 July 2024
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Since then, Trump has regularly lobbed attacks at the military and its top leaders, accusing them of being politically craven and operationally incompetent.Ronald R. Krebs, Foreign Affairs, 28 Sep. 2021
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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His fervor to determine who took the weapon reveals a shockingly monstrous side, turning his wife and children into frightened suspects and leading to a jarring tonal-shift ending that proves to be a cathartic, believable final destination for a film simmering with mistrust and anger.Tim Grierson, Los Angeles Times, 28 Nov. 2024
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At worst, this could lead to one or more Kent State-type incidents, with frightened Guardsmen in hostile, unfamiliar territory.Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 21 Nov. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Spineless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spineless. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
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