as in thug
a violent, brutal person who is often a member of an organized gang
London bobbies clearing the streets of hooligans
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hooligan
And who would be harshing this hooligan’s buzz with a case of reform-minded abduction?
—
Robert Abele,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Mar. 2026
Follows 19-year-old hooligan Tommy (Boon), who revels in a life of drugs, parties and violence.
—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
6 Mar. 2026
The activist first came to prominence as co-founder of the English Defense League, a protest organization that vowed opposition to Islam and intermingled with the country’s soccer hooligan scene.
—
Alexander Smith,
NBC news,
26 Feb. 2026
Violence in European soccer has subsided; English hooligans now seem almost quaint.
—
Ian Buruma,
New Yorker,
23 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hooligan
Robert Abele,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Mar. 2026
Follows 19-year-old hooligan Tommy (Boon), who revels in a life of drugs, parties and violence.
—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
6 Mar. 2026
The activist first came to prominence as co-founder of the English Defense League, a protest organization that vowed opposition to Islam and intermingled with the country’s soccer hooligan scene.
—
Alexander Smith,
NBC news,
26 Feb. 2026
Violence in European soccer has subsided; English hooligans now seem almost quaint.
—
Ian Buruma,
New Yorker,
23 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hooligan
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hooligan
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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What begins as a chance to escape the routine of his everyday life quickly spirals into a dangerous gathering of powerful criminals, old enemies, and unresolved loyalties.
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That creates the perfect opening for criminals.
Noun
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One of the first films of its kind, this lesbian gangster heist thriller delivers suspense and humor.
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The 16 reputed gangsters or aspiring gangsters charged in the indictment range in age from 19 to 24.
Noun
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Instead, most are romantic stories about young lovers separated by fate, and the rest are swashbuckling adventures full of bandits and pirates.
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Fantastical adventures ensue as the pair encounter a mysterious woman, Alexandra, who has lost her son, along with coyotes, bandits, and some pretty big secrets.
Noun
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Together, the band brings to life a mythic world of ancient heroes and villains, attracting an excited audience of headbangers and fantasy fanatics, many of whom show up in costume.
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The performance earned her the award for best villain at the 2003 MTV Movie Awards.
Noun
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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.
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The Knesset recently legalized the death penalty for Arabs who murder Jews, but not for the hoodlum Israeli settlers who have been killing West Bank residents to seize their land.
Noun
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The age of sail, when pirates like Johnny Depp’s fictional Jack Sparrow roamed the seven seas, ended about 200 years ago.
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Eight pages later, Leucippe has to fake her own beheading to escape from pirates.
Cite this Entry
“Hooligan.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hooligan. Accessed 2 Jul. 2026.
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