as in gangster
a violent, brutal person who is often a member of an organized gang
the Mob boss regularly sent his thugs after people who were slow to pay their debts
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of thug
The thugs oppose other whites (plus one exotic token black thug) also struggling toward civilization, opposing women through gender domination.
—
Armond White, National Review, 4 June 2025
There’s the school thug and martial-arts champ Conor Day (Aramis Knight), who used to go out with Mia.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 30 May 2025
Summit, June 10 Image So Far Gone by Jess Walter
Rhys Kinnick, a journalist and a recluse, is living off the grid in the woods near Spokane, Wash., when his grandchildren are kidnapped by thugs.
—Laura Thompson, New York Times, 22 May 2025
Everything changes, however, when two thugs come to visit and promptly beat the ever-loving heck out of Hank at the front door.
—Emlyn Travis Published, EW.com, 21 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for thug
Armond White, National Review, 4 June 2025
There’s the school thug and martial-arts champ Conor Day (Aramis Knight), who used to go out with Mia.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 30 May 2025
Summit, June 10 Image So Far Gone by Jess Walter
Rhys Kinnick, a journalist and a recluse, is living off the grid in the woods near Spokane, Wash., when his grandchildren are kidnapped by thugs.
—Laura Thompson, New York Times, 22 May 2025
Everything changes, however, when two thugs come to visit and promptly beat the ever-loving heck out of Hank at the front door.
—Emlyn Travis Published, EW.com, 21 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for thug
Recent Examples of Synonyms for thug
Noun
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The all-star cast for the limited series includes Kevin Hart as Chicken Man, the organizer of the party, Taraji P. Henson as his right hand woman Vivian Thomas, Samuel L. Jackson as gangster Frank Moten, and Don Cheadle as J.D. Hudson, the cop trying to figure out who really orchestrated the crime.—
Marcus Jones,
IndieWire,
20 June 2025
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Creature With the Atom Brain sees a gangster force a German scientist to reanimate the dead with atomic radiation in order to pull off crimes (recalling both Frankenstein and The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, films that fit neatly alongside the zombie genre).—
Daniel Dockery,
Vulture,
18 June 2025
Noun
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According to his campaign website, some of his goals include increasing police presence, protecting undocumented immigrants but deporting violent criminals, taxing the rich, and eliminating waste.—
Emily Chang,
ABC News,
24 June 2025
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With the help of a charming and ethnically diverse array of loveable colleagues, Peralta brings down criminals in entirely bingeable 22-minute chunks.—
Maris Kreizman,
Rolling Stone,
24 June 2025
Noun
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Clayface is shape-shifting villain in the Batman comics and got his introduction as part of Detective Comics #40 in June 1940.—
Justin Kroll,
Deadline,
17 June 2025
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Welcome to the Post-Trust Era A social media app isn’t the villain.—
Ankush Chowdhary,
Forbes.com,
17 June 2025
Noun
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Alpha Slow Horse agent River Cartwright (Jack Lowden) unravels the connection between himself and the former CIA operative-turned-mercenary (Hugo Weaving) who’s raised an entire brood of psychopathic assassins.—
Hugh Hart,
Los Angeles Times,
17 June 2025
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Carey plays the role of the relentless assassin well.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
16 June 2025
Noun
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Ensure Robust Model Management In healthcare, AI reliability demands robust model management—continuous monitoring, causal inference in production, multi-arm bandit testing and human-in-the-loop oversight.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
17 June 2025
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There were corridos about the exploits of bandits and outlaws, some of them Robin Hood-esque characters who outwitted oafish authorities and helped the poor.—
Kate Linthicum,
Los Angeles Times,
11 May 2025
Noun
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No one was held at gunpoint, there were no injuries, and the thieves made away with more than $100 million worth of jewelry in a matter of minutes.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
19 June 2025
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These simple bags keep your wallet, passport, phone, and other valuables close to your body and safe from thieves.—
Genevieve Cepeda,
Travel + Leisure,
19 June 2025
Noun
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Critics say police gave up when the rioting erupted in 1992, letting big chunks of the city burn while looters and hoodlums ruled.—
Seema Mehta,
Los Angeles Times,
12 June 2025
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His hoodlum phase in New York was re-created at the Lenox Lounge in Harlem.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
2 May 2025
Noun
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Porch pirates Mail theft in Virginia will soon be a Class 6 felony, which means people caught stealing mail or packages can be punished by imprisonment for one to five years and/or a fine of up to $2,500.—
Barnini Chakraborty,
The Washington Examiner,
22 June 2025
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Over the centuries, Spanish conquistadors brought horses whose descendants now roam wild; the pirate Blackbeard fought his final sea battle near Ocracoke Island in the south; and the Wright Brothers took their first successful flight.—
Kate Lewis,
New York Times,
19 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Thug.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thug. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.
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