How to Use cynical in a Sentence

cynical

adjective
  • 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.
  • Which is a bit of a cynical play.
    — Alison Herman, Variety, 2 Mar. 2026
  • At a glance, this makes a cynical kind of sense.
    — Graham Hillard, The Washington Examiner, 5 Sep. 2025
  • Be cynical about a lack of new ideas.
    — Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 1 Jan. 2026
  • And what is trolling but cynical irony?
    — Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 22 Aug. 2025
  • Maybe, on some level, sure — but this take is more cynical than mine.
    — Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 19 May 2022
  • Cruise has been savvy (cynical, arguably) about where the movies are now.
    — Wesley Morris, New York Times, 1 Dec. 2022
  • But there is nothing cynical about the short poem this song is based on.
    — The Washington Post, 14 Apr. 2020
  • In some ways, France is an easy scapegoat for cynical army men.
    — Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 1 Sep. 2023
  • Budding spring flowers can melt the hearts of even the most cynical.
    — Rachel Silva, Martha Stewart, 27 Apr. 2026
  • Thanksgiving is a time even the most cynical of us can pause and look on the bright side.
    — National Geographic, 26 Nov. 2020
  • The proper response to this is a cynical groan.
    — U T Editorial Board, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026
  • The whole discourse was so cynical.
    — Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2025
  • The look was lo-fi and absurdist, and the tone was eye-rolling, cynical, self-aware.
    — Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 30 Sep. 2020
  • Sorry to be cynical, but this isn’t a solution built for the long term.
    — The Editorial Board, WSJ, 24 Oct. 2022
  • Supporters of the new taxes and fees have a more cynical view.
    — Rachel Swan, SFChronicle.com, 26 June 2018
  • The more cynical among us might dismiss this practice, but is there anything wrong with it?
    — Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Apr. 2026
  • On-court coaching is a cheap and cynical gimmick that the players don’t like.
    — Jon Wertheim, SI.com, 8 July 2017
  • Based on the first few episodes, the tone is more bleakly cynical than satirical.
    — oregonlive, 30 June 2021
  • When asked about what happened to the Eye, Valderas was more cynical.
    — Jeremy Hallock, Dallas News, 31 May 2020
  • But the stakes are too high to be cynical, climate entrepreneurs and investors said.
    — Erin Griffith, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2023
  • The industry now, to me, is more cynical than it’s ever been.
    — Lily Moayeri, SPIN, 1 May 2026
  • All of this has made younger voters more cynical and disengaged.
    — Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 12 June 2026
  • Boomers saw Gen Xers, that’s me, as cynical slackers.
    — Harvard Business Review, 30 Dec. 2025
  • Reissues of ’90s records are legion right now, but this is not one to feel cynical about.
    — Taylor Antrim, Vogue, 5 Dec. 2018
  • Mare has mostly given up on her dreams and is in a cynical place when Ned arrives.
    — Michael Schneider, Variety, 4 Sep. 2025
  • One of the most romantic things about soccer has been turned into one of the most cynical.
    — Harry De Cosemo, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2025

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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