How to Use cynical in a Sentence

cynical

adjective
Definition of cynicalnext
Synonyms for cynicalnext
  • Cynical people say there is no such thing as true love.
  • She's become more cynical in her old age.
  • Some people regard the governor's visit to the hospital as a cynical attempt to win votes.
  • People are so cynical nowadays.
  • Even to a cynical city kid like me, the coat was badass.
    — Town & Country, 10 Dec. 2012
  • Which brings me to the moment that cracked my cynical heart.
    — Mickey Rapkin, Los Angeles Times, 13 July 2023
  • The past year has left him cynical about the government.
    — San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 June 2021
  • Thanksgiving is a time even the most cynical of us can pause and look on the bright side.
    — National Geographic, 26 Nov. 2020
  • Trump weaponized this cynical ploy on the campaign trail.
    — Nina Burleigh, Newsweek, 5 Oct. 2017
  • And yet there are reasons to be cynical about such rhetoric.
    — Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 23 Apr. 2023
  • There’s a cynical term of art for this approach: ship and pray.
    — Ben Hubbard, Fortune, 17 Sep. 2020
  • Supporters of the new taxes and fees have a more cynical view.
    — Rachel Swan, SFChronicle.com, 26 June 2018
  • But there is nothing cynical about the short poem this song is based on.
    — The Washington Post, 14 Apr. 2020
  • The most likely answer to these questions is a cynical one.
    — The Economist, 23 June 2018
  • Even the most cynical might have snuck a peek at the horse drawn carriages, the guards with swords, or the opulent chapel.
    — Mitch Albom, Detroit Free Press, 20 May 2018
  • And both were settled by cynical maneuvers on the track.
    — Joshua Robinson, WSJ, 10 Dec. 2021
  • Based on the first few episodes, the tone is more bleakly cynical than satirical.
    — oregonlive, 30 June 2021
  • Harris said that the outcome might cause some to feel cynical about the justice system.
    — Dustin Gardiner, SFChronicle.com, 5 Feb. 2020
  • Cruise has been savvy (cynical, arguably) about where the movies are now.
    — Wesley Morris, New York Times, 1 Dec. 2022
  • But the stakes are too high to be cynical, climate entrepreneurs and investors said.
    — Erin Griffith, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2023
  • Even the most cynical teens enjoy picnics; go to goodhousekeeping.com/picnics for ideas.
    — Charlotte Latvala, Good Housekeeping, 4 May 2010
  • The voice remained the same: tough, knowing, at times cynical.
    — New York Times, 23 Dec. 2021
  • Sorry to be cynical, but this isn’t a solution built for the long term.
    — The Editorial Board, WSJ, 24 Oct. 2022
  • And the films coming out around that time invited a more cynical approach.
    — Rachel Handler, Vulture, 24 Feb. 2021
  • In some ways, France is an easy scapegoat for cynical army men.
    — Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 1 Sep. 2023
  • On-court coaching is a cheap and cynical gimmick that the players don’t like.
    — Jon Wertheim, SI.com, 8 July 2017
  • Maybe, on some level, sure — but this take is more cynical than mine.
    — Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 19 May 2022
  • But there’s plenty of reason to also be cynical about the status quo.
    — Washington Post, 19 Apr. 2021
  • In other words, the cynical ploy worked just as intended.
    — Michael Tomasky, The New Republic, 2 Sep. 2021
  • Others dismissed it as a cynical ploy for Catholic votes.
    — New York Times, 23 Dec. 2021

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cynical.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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