hooligan

noun

ˈhü-li-gən How to pronounce hooligan (audio)
Definition of hooligannext
as in thug
a violent, brutal person who is often a member of an organized gang London bobbies clearing the streets of hooligans

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of hooligan The actions of hooligans following the Knicks championship is inexcusable. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 17 June 2026 Between the hooligan-ish behavior in New York City, San Antonio's desperation not to go down 3-1 and the chippiness of this series, Game 4 of the NBA Finals should be the most intense basketball game so far this season. — Geoff Clark Outkick, FOXNews.com, 10 June 2026 In Western Europe, the sport has long since priced its hooligan problem away, after all. — Leander Schaerlaeckens june 8, Literary Hub, 8 June 2026 Not only were hooligans running riot every week, but the grounds weren’t fit for purpose, and attendances were locked into a sustained nosedive. — Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 23 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for hooligan
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hooligan
  1. thug
  2. criminal
  3. gangster
  4. bandit
  5. villain
  6. hoodlum
  7. pirate
Noun
  • The eponymous former assassin is drawn back into the game after some thugs (led by Alfie Allen) kill his dog and royally piss him off.
    — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Tae-ha’s mom left him after Sang-gil, who was also a boxer prior to becoming a thug, cheated in a match.
    — Kayti Burt, Time, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of thug
Noun
  • Throughout the bar are blurbs of information on cases and criminals, researched by Rose and the team.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 29 Aug. 2026
  • When criminals are behind bars, their victims should finally be safe from them.
    — Caden Perry, jsonline.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of criminal
Noun
  • Karp was also involved in the sale last week of a $21 million lot on Palm Island where a mansion owned by gangster Al Capone once stood.
    — Catherine Odom, Miami Herald, 18 Aug. 2026
  • The bodies start piling up – and business booms – but the growing enterprise puts the trio in the crosshairs of the powerful gangsters and underworld figures in the lawless border town of Saribgunj.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of gangster
Noun
  • The Brigands of Rattlecreek follows a sheriff and a doctor who seek revenge against a group of bandits who use the cover of a torrential thunderstorm to rob and terrorize the occupants of a small town.
    — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Instead of splitting traffic 50/50 until an end date, AI shifts traffic toward the better performing version while the test is still live, an approach often called a multi-armed bandit.
    — Karan Sharma, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of bandit
Noun
  • Furious drops the ball a bit in the interactions with Emma and Jay Easton, turning them into one-dimensional caricatures instead of complex villains, but honestly, this show isn’t really about them.
    — Erin Qualey, Vulture, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Saoirse Ronan is ready to step into the dark side and is doubling down on wanting to play a villain in the James Bond universe.
    — Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of villain
Noun
  • Also in his orbit are a consortium of crooks, including his cousin Freddie, a hip junkie, and Pepper, a taciturn hoodlum who was friends with Ray’s dad, Big Mike, a legendary thief.
    — Niela Orr, Vulture, 20 July 2026
  • In the past decade, the leadership of the Kinahan organization has become rich and cosmopolitan, and their life styles have started to resemble those of international businessmen more than of street hoodlums.
    — Ed Caesar, New Yorker, 30 Apr. 2026
Definition of hoodlum
Noun
  • Speaking of singing pirates, Curry clearly fancied these kinds of roles, signing on to play the villainous Long John Silver in Muppet Treasure Island (1996), Brian Henson’s musical adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic novel.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 26 Aug. 2026
  • That is up from Politico’s report that Somali pirates had seized at least three tankers carrying oil and fertilizer since April, while a chemical-carrying ship was hijacked off Yemen in July.
    — Joshua Hong, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of pirate

Browse Nearby Words

hook up (with)
hooligan
hooliganism
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Cite this Entry

“Hooligan.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hooligan. Accessed 31 Aug. 2026.

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