hooligan

noun

hoo·li·gan | \ˈhü-li-gən

\

Definition of hooligan

: ruffian, hoodlum

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Examples of hooligan in a Sentence

The windows were broken by a gang of teenage hooligans. shouldn't you hooligans be in school instead of threatening old ladies?

Recent Examples on the Web

Fears about hooligan violence have proven to be unfounded so far. — Brian Straus, SI.com, "The World Cup of Chaos: Looking Back on a Group Stage for the Ages," 29 June 2018 Russia, whose many soccer hooligans were influenced by their English counterparts, has since cracked down on that kind of rioting at soccer matches. — Washington Post, "Can Russia, with its history of racist attacks and hooligans, put on a World Cup welcome?," 12 June 2018 But the jeering of Gundogan didn't appear to be restricted to right-wing hooligans. — Ciaran Fahey, Fox News, "Questions of loyalty cast shadow over German World Cup squad," 13 June 2018 Russian police have cracked down since, rounding up rowdy fans and warning local hooligans that there will be no tolerance for disturbances. — The Economist, "Russia prepares to welcome 1m visitors for the World Cup," 13 June 2018 Russia’s soccer hooligans, usually a vicious group, are nowhere to be seen. — Andrew E. Kramer, New York Times, "Russia Relaxes, for a Moment, to Let Soccer Fans Rejoice," 2 July 2018 Racially motivated attacks or those on LGBT fans combine with concerns over the safety of English supporters after Russian hooligans caused trouble during the 2016 European Championship in France, clashing with rival supporters. — Euan Mckirdy, CNN, "World Cup 2018: Russian lawmaker warns against sex with foreigners," 14 June 2018 Violence between Russian and English hooligans in Marseille marred the European Championship in 2016. — The Economist, "Russia prepares to welcome 1m visitors for the World Cup," 13 June 2018 Wanting to see that happen more than most were the diehard followers, the hooligans, both in Britain and in the rest of Europe, whose brawling tarnished the game. — Leo Robson, The New Yorker, "How We Watch Soccer Now," 5 Dec. 2016

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hooligan.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

7 Oct 2018

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Time Traveler for hooligan

The first known use of hooligan was in 1896

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More Definitions for hooligan

hooligan

noun

English Language Learners Definition of hooligan

: a usually young man who does noisy and violent things as part of a group or gang

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