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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of thug
White thugs destroyed it in the 1921 Race Massacre.
—
Jasmine Desiree, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026
Cabello, once Maduro's chief thug, can now be seen sitting across from high level Trump officials in meetings discussing business deals.
—Margaret Brennan, CBS News, 30 Apr. 2026
He’s beaten by thugs with a crowbar for an unfortunate outburst, exploited by neighbors in the council estate and arrested, all because people don’t understand Tourette syndrome.
—Katie Walsh, Boston Herald, 24 Apr. 2026
Mayor vows to catch 'thugs who did this' Baton Rouge Mayor Sid Edwards promised that law enforcement will catch the people responsible for the violence at the mall.
—Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for thug
Jasmine Desiree, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026
Cabello, once Maduro's chief thug, can now be seen sitting across from high level Trump officials in meetings discussing business deals.
—Margaret Brennan, CBS News, 30 Apr. 2026
He’s beaten by thugs with a crowbar for an unfortunate outburst, exploited by neighbors in the council estate and arrested, all because people don’t understand Tourette syndrome.
—Katie Walsh, Boston Herald, 24 Apr. 2026
Mayor vows to catch 'thugs who did this' Baton Rouge Mayor Sid Edwards promised that law enforcement will catch the people responsible for the violence at the mall.
—Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for thug
Recent Examples of Synonyms for thug
Noun
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Neither immigrant family should be linked to violent gangsters, of course.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
13 June 2026
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By telling a relatively straightforward story that blends real people from the era of the Gotti Mafia family with imagined characters, Martin Scorsese's dramedy biopic about a kid who falls in love with the gangster life is as even-keeled as anything the director has made.—
Eric Farwell,
Entertainment Weekly,
12 June 2026
Noun
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This makes your accounts much harder to break into, even if a criminal gets control of your phone number.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
19 June 2026
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And historically, denaturalization has been reserved for the most egregious offenders, such as human rights abusers and violent criminals.—
Camilo Montoya-Galvez,
CBS News,
18 June 2026
Noun
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Her bone-chilling performance earned her the MTV Movie Award for best villain, beating out the likes of Daniel Day-Lewis, Mike Myers, Willem Dafoe and Colin Farrell in her category.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
17 June 2026
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This was my villain origin story.—
Lauryn Overhultz,
FOXNews.com,
17 June 2026
Noun
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The report’s key finding was that an odd, angry, 24-year-old assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald, had acted alone, for reasons nobody could quite figure out.—
Kaitlyn Tiffany,
The Atlantic,
20 June 2026
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Unfortunately, Daemon’s hired assassins killed Aegon’s young son Jaehaerys instead so any real possibility for a family reconciliation was lost.—
Tracy Brown,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
Noun
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Re-blockade will now happen at bandit camps and ruins.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
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And what gives her purpose is meeting Ruthye, who’s also endured tragedy, and wants to avenge her family’s death at the hands of the bandit Krem of the Yellow Hills (Matthias Schoenaerts).—
Kate Aurthur,
Variety,
20 May 2026
Noun
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Police said thieves have primarily targeted newer-model Toyota Camry and Corolla vehicles, along with Honda Civic and Accord models equipped with sport trim wheels and tires.—
Nicole Buss,
Sacbee.com,
16 June 2026
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Break a window and thieves might catch a break from facing a dedicated prosecutor in the misdemeanor unit at the Sacramento District Attorney's Office, as budget cuts are leading to cuts in that unit.—
Steve Large,
CBS News,
15 June 2026
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.—
Ed Caesar,
New Yorker,
30 Apr. 2026
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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.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
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From pirate treasure hunts that send kids racing around the resort with maps and clues to a sandcastle concierge stocked with shovels, pails, and tools for building elaborate beach creations, the property makes family vacations feel surprisingly stress-free.—
Alexandra Emanuelli,
Southern Living,
12 June 2026
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Tweens and teens can also try knot-tying, help raise the sails, play pirate games, and visit the bridge.—
Ashlea Halpern,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Thug.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thug. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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