as in thug
a violent, brutal person who is often a member of an organized gang
the loan shark sent a couple of gorillas to "convince" him to pay up
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of gorilla
Virunga National Park is famous for its gorillas.
—
Gabrielle Emanuel,
NPR,
6 June 2026
In Africa, infection has been documented through the handling of infected fruit bats, monkeys, chimpanzees, gorillas, forest antelope and porcupines found ill or dead in the rainforest.
—
Janet Loehrke,
USA Today,
2 June 2026
Olympia's new son marks the first gorilla born via C-section in the Woodland Park Zoo's 126-year history.
—
Erin Clack,
PEOPLE,
31 May 2026
The post immediately went viral, garnering 10 million views and more than 110,000 likes as of Thursday morning, with some commenters honoring Harambe and others questioning why the White House made such an emotional tribute to the slain gorilla.
—
Conor Murray,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for gorilla
Gabrielle Emanuel,
NPR,
6 June 2026
In Africa, infection has been documented through the handling of infected fruit bats, monkeys, chimpanzees, gorillas, forest antelope and porcupines found ill or dead in the rainforest.
—
Janet Loehrke,
USA Today,
2 June 2026
Olympia's new son marks the first gorilla born via C-section in the Woodland Park Zoo's 126-year history.
—
Erin Clack,
PEOPLE,
31 May 2026
The post immediately went viral, garnering 10 million views and more than 110,000 likes as of Thursday morning, with some commenters honoring Harambe and others questioning why the White House made such an emotional tribute to the slain gorilla.
—
Conor Murray,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for gorilla
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gorilla
Noun
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Ditto Hugh Jackman’s unerring performance — perhaps his finest dramatic work yet — as a savage, unfeeling thug and unrepentant murderer and thief.
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The actions of these thugs, who should be imprisoned for a long while, is the cause of denying real Knicks fans the chance to watch the game communally.
Noun
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The immigrant-threat frame offers a quicker villain and a simpler solution to persistent social problems such as violent crime.
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The new production will follow Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello and Michelangelo from their comic book origins to becoming global pop culture icons, battling familiar villains along the way.
Noun
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The tree is said to have sheltered Robin Hood, the legendary 13th-century bandit who stole from the rich and gave to the poor and took refuge in the forest when being pursued by the sheriff of Nottingham.
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The tree is said to have sheltered Robin Hood, the legendary 13th-century bandit who stole from the rich and gave to the poor and took refuge in the forest when being pursued by the sheriff of Nottingham.
Noun
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Neither immigrant family should be linked to violent gangsters, of course.
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By telling a relatively straightforward story that blends real people from the era of the Gotti Mafia family with imagined characters, Martin Scorsese's dramedy biopic about a kid who falls in love with the gangster life is as even-keeled as anything the director has made.
Noun
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This makes your accounts much harder to break into, even if a criminal gets control of your phone number.
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And historically, denaturalization has been reserved for the most egregious offenders, such as human rights abusers and violent criminals.
Noun
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The report’s key finding was that an odd, angry, 24-year-old assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald, had acted alone, for reasons nobody could quite figure out.
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Unfortunately, Daemon’s hired assassins killed Aegon’s young son Jaehaerys instead so any real possibility for a family reconciliation was lost.
Noun
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There's even some sympathy for the vengeful pirate character.
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Tyland may have gotten Triarchy pirate Admiral Sharako Lohar on Team Green’s side, but at his core this man is a coward.
Noun
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At one point, what appeared to be a bullet hole was seen in the hood of a Chicago police squad car.
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Most changes happen under the hood.
Cite this Entry
“Gorilla.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gorilla. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
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