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
Relevance
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
There’s a little bit of fear now, of people losing control, of hooligans.
—
Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 19 May 2025
More menacingly, anti-Semitic Polish-nationalist hooligans have mounting success enforcing a boycott against Jewish merchants in villages across the region.
—Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 16 Mar. 2025
As if to prove his point about support for environmental causes, Millwall fans, often lazily stereotyped as hooligans more interested in Green Street than going green, are proving how outdated such stereotypes are by leading one environmental league table.
—Steve Price, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025
After the know-nothing county board opts to raze the baseball diamond to make way for a school, the teams meet for one final game at their beloved Soldier’s Field, with girlfriends, kids, and local hooligans as intermittent spectators.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 7 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hooligan
Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 19 May 2025
More menacingly, anti-Semitic Polish-nationalist hooligans have mounting success enforcing a boycott against Jewish merchants in villages across the region.
—Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 16 Mar. 2025
As if to prove his point about support for environmental causes, Millwall fans, often lazily stereotyped as hooligans more interested in Green Street than going green, are proving how outdated such stereotypes are by leading one environmental league table.
—Steve Price, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025
After the know-nothing county board opts to raze the baseball diamond to make way for a school, the teams meet for one final game at their beloved Soldier’s Field, with girlfriends, kids, and local hooligans as intermittent spectators.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 7 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hooligan
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hooligan
Noun
-
Peace isn’t easy to come by, though the motorcycle thugs who swing by to bully the locals and squeeze money out of the businesses don’t offer much resistance.—
Tim Grierson,
Vulture,
15 Aug. 2025
-
As the ship prepared to leave port, the G men arrived, handcuffed the thug and dragged him away.—
Howie Carr,
Boston Herald,
13 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
In the original series, Dexter was a forensics technician who targeted the most heinous of criminals.—
Tim Lammers,
Forbes.com,
22 Aug. 2025
-
Stealing America's Most Famous Pair of Shoes (Hulu, Aug. 26) In 2005, one of the most ambitious movie memorabilia heists of all time happened, with a very unusual criminal behind it.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
22 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The movie brings back Hemsworth’s Rake, who is tasked with a new mission — rescuing the battered family of a ruthless Georgian gangster from the prison where they are being held.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
18 Aug. 2025
-
In the episode, which originally aired in 1968, the Enterprise crew lands on a planet with a 1920s gangster culture.—
Jack Dunn,
Variety,
11 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
An anonymous tipster called police to say the bandits were trying to sell their loot less than a mile away, and gave the cops Hussein’s Instagram handle, according to court filings.—
John Annese,
New York Daily News,
12 Aug. 2025
-
Industrialists like Rockefeller and Carnegie weren’t worried about horseback bandits; their focus was on land rights, freight monopolies and who controlled the rails.—
Jodi Daniels,
Forbes.com,
8 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Temuera Morrison plays a terrific villain as the murderous King Kahekili.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
16 Aug. 2025
-
Living with the aftermath Smollett in Episode 9 Courtesy of Apple TV+ Lehane never set out to create a simple morality tale with clear heroes and villains.—
JP Mangalindan,
Time,
15 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Whereas the Star Wars sequels woefully misused the actor's talents, this movie puts them center stage, playing one of the teen hoodlums who join forces with their victim to fight off nasty, otherworldly invaders.—
Chris Snellgrove,
EW.com,
12 Aug. 2025
-
Let the bromance begin, as Derringer and Clarke squabble their way back to the Western world, punching out hoodlums and escaping to Poland in the back of a livestock truck.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
2 July 2025
Noun
-
Nearly 500 years after its foundation, Cartagena still weaves together a history of pirate raids and baroque beauty with modern-day glittering skyscrapers that seem to rise from the sea.—
Carley Rojas Ávila,
Forbes.com,
15 Aug. 2025
-
The actor has slipped into pirate witch-esque Vivienne Westwood, champagne silks, freaky Simone Rocha prints, and an elevated pair of mall goth boots.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
14 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hooligan.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hooligan. Accessed 28 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share