as in Mafia
a group involved in secret or criminal activities
a conspiracy theory about the existence of an international cabal devoted to world domination
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as in to club
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cabal
Richard Hall, Time, 22 Nov. 2025
Epstein kind of hits all of these, that there’s this elite cabal that’s orchestrating things that ultimately are against the interests of we the people, with a sort of antisemitic strain to this.
—Alex Hinton, The Conversation, 18 Nov. 2025
Martin Finucane, BostonGlobe.com, 14 June 2019
Powell is drawing encouragement from the significant losses of candidates who, like Burton, are backed by the Empower Texans cabal attempting to take control of the Texas Legislature.
—Richard Greene, star-telegram, 24 May 2018
See All Example Sentences for cabal
Noun
She became known during her run for office as a promoter of QAnon, a set of sprawling theories centered around the idea that the world is controlled by a satanic cabal of pedophiles and cannibals, and that Trump is involved in a fight against them.
—Richard Hall, Time, 22 Nov. 2025
Epstein kind of hits all of these, that there’s this elite cabal that’s orchestrating things that ultimately are against the interests of we the people, with a sort of antisemitic strain to this.
—Alex Hinton, The Conversation, 18 Nov. 2025
Verb
Nothing was more to be desired than that every practicable obstacle should be opposed to cabal, intrigue, and corruption.
—Martin Finucane, BostonGlobe.com, 14 June 2019
Powell is drawing encouragement from the significant losses of candidates who, like Burton, are backed by the Empower Texans cabal attempting to take control of the Texas Legislature.
—Richard Greene, star-telegram, 24 May 2018
See All Example Sentences for cabal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cabal
Noun
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The series follows the Black Mafia Family in Detroit and is based on a true story.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
16 Aug. 2025
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On the surface, the crime drama follows the rise and fall of the Black Mafia Family — one of the most influential crime families in the country.—
Kayla Grant,
People.com,
16 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Williams clubbed aside Bozeman, got to Herbert in a flash and sent him flying to the turf like a 6-foot-6 bowling pin.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Jan. 2026
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Other options include free-agent third baseman Eugenio Suarez, who clubbed 49 homers in 2025 but is not the all-round hitter or defender that Bregman is.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
12 Jan. 2026
Noun
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People are supposed to be using drugs and joining gangs and garbage is supposed to be scattered on the ground rather than placed in bins.—
Rafael Perez,
Daily News,
16 Jan. 2026
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What if that individual was a gang member and of serious public safety concern?—
Bobby Zirkin,
Baltimore Sun,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Those are among the hot names league wide.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
28 Dec. 2025
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Though there's no guarantee that Leiter will steady the ship, he's generally been close to league average throughout his career, which might well be good enough to improve his new team.—
Jackson Roberts,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Dec. 2025
Noun
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In the show, Lower, 40, plays Helly Riggs/Helena Eagan, who tries to uncover the company's web of conspiracies with her coworkers.—
Liza Esquibias,
PEOPLE,
12 Jan. 2026
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In their charging documents, prosecutors allege Maduro, his wife and his son, Nicolás Maduro Guerra, engaged in a cocaine-trafficking conspiracy and partnered with cartels designated as terrorist groups.—
Richard Johnson,
New York Daily News,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Ohio State Sports Properties, Learfield’s local team in Columbus, will collaborate with Ohio State’s athletic department on centerpiece sponsorship assets, such as a jersey-patch partnership in anticipation of an NCAA rule change.—
Sportico Staff,
Sportico.com,
9 Jan. 2026
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Last year, the brand for the first time participated at the Met Gala and launched the Moncler Genius collection with Mercedes-Benz by Nigo and the first collection of apparel collaborating with Donald Glover’s Gilga Farm.—
Luisa Zargani,
Footwear News,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
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In other words, Oklahoma’s largest writer of homeowners insurance was behaving like a crime syndicate.—
J.C. Hallman,
Oklahoma Watch,
13 Jan. 2026
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Adams put together a portfolio of his workday doodles and sent it to several newspaper syndicates.—
Chris Koseluk,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Iran has been a theocracy since 1979, when clerics toppled a secular monarch allied with the West, leading to the formation of the Islamic Republic led by Khamenei’s predecessor, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.—
Mostafa Salem,
CNN Money,
12 Jan. 2026
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The United Arab Emirates has been accused by human rights groups of directly supplying the RSF with weaponry, an allegation the country strongly denied, while Saudi Arabia and Egypt have allied with the SAF.—
ByGuy Davies,
ABC News,
9 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cabal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cabal. Accessed 21 Jan. 2026.
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