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
Today, Nazi political power exists via a disparate array of soccer hooligans, deluded commentators, and criminal gangs of limited power.
—
Tom Rogan, The Washington Examiner, 26 Sep. 2025
Yet the flag’s prominence during episodes of hooligan violence in the 1970s and ’80s left it with a more aggressive reputation.
—Dominique Soguel, Christian Science Monitor, 12 Sep. 2025
The film stars Boon as Tommy, a 19-year-old hooligan who wakes up from an all-night bender in the basement of a strange suburban home, bound with a chain around his neck.
—Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 4 Sep. 2025
On the same day as the Bradford fire, a spectator was killed during one of the worst hooligan fights at a game between Birmingham and Leeds.
—Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for hooligan
Tom Rogan, The Washington Examiner, 26 Sep. 2025
Yet the flag’s prominence during episodes of hooligan violence in the 1970s and ’80s left it with a more aggressive reputation.
—Dominique Soguel, Christian Science Monitor, 12 Sep. 2025
The film stars Boon as Tommy, a 19-year-old hooligan who wakes up from an all-night bender in the basement of a strange suburban home, bound with a chain around his neck.
—Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 4 Sep. 2025
On the same day as the Bradford fire, a spectator was killed during one of the worst hooligan fights at a game between Birmingham and Leeds.
—Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for hooligan
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hooligan
Noun
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Minnesotans, not the armed thugs of ICE and the Border Patrol, are brave.—
Adam Serwer,
The Atlantic,
27 Jan. 2026
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Actively inserting yourself into and attempting to stymie federal law enforcement or barging into a church, as some of these thugs did in Minneapolis, is hindering law enforcement and trespassing, respectively.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Immigration and Integration Minister Rasmus Stoklund said 315 foreign criminals from countries outside the European Union had received sentences of more than a year over the last five years but were not expelled.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
31 Jan. 2026
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The Justice Department did not respond to a request for comment, but officials there have broadly defended the department’s actions as not only justified but necessary for ensuring the rule of law and holding alleged criminals to account.—
Kevin Rector,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
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In 1991, Pesci won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of real-life gangster Tommy DeVito in Goodfellas.—
Sophie Dodd,
PEOPLE,
31 Jan. 2026
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His acting run continued in August with a role as a gangster in Caught Stealing, which, while less commercially successful, provided another strong entry in Bad Bunny’s growing film portfolio.—
Isabela Raygoza,
Billboard,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The authentic Denver and Rio Grande train that has operated at Knott’s since 1952 boasts the highest crime rate in all of Orange County with the notorious Ghost Town bandits robbing every departure from the Calico Square depot.—
Brady MacDonald,
Oc Register,
21 Jan. 2026
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Whiskey Row celebrates Prescott's Old West history, with saloons once occupied by outlaws and bandits.—
Paige Moore,
AZCentral.com,
19 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Picking winners and losers, heroes and villains, pathways to success and failure, generates excitement for an event and manufactures a sense of urgency for maximal viewing pleasure.—
Brady Brickner-Wood,
New Yorker,
28 Jan. 2026
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What the late Ka did to build resolve against the unforgiving brutalities of Brownsville, Marci combines with the flair of a Bond villain and contempt for anyone attempting to copy his mold.—
Dylan Green,
Pitchfork,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
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But as Duterte’s father, Vicente, had increasingly gravitated toward Malacañang, his son hung out with the family bodyguards—and crafted the persona of a rough-talking bugoy, or hoodlum, in his native Bisayan tongue.—
Sean Williams,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
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These involve raiding the lairs of hoodlum rivals, then singlehandedly dissuading them from competition.—
Dennis Harvey,
Variety,
28 Oct. 2025
Noun
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From the days of colonists and pirates to the more modern era (of, say, bankers and lawyers servicing offshore corporations), its touristic charms have gone largely unappreciated.—
John Bowe,
Travel + Leisure,
1 Feb. 2026
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On the island’s western end, Fort Frederik is a spectacular example of an 18th-century Danish masonry fort, originally constructed to protect the natural deep-water port from pirates and rival nations.—
Condé Nast Traveler,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hooligan.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hooligan. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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