as in gang
a group involved in secret or criminal activities
the local Mafia largely finances itself through extortion rackets and drug trafficking
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of Mafia
Presley’s friends in the Memphis Mafia were convinced that Elvis wanted to tour the world and blamed Parker’s fear of deportation.
—
Kim Willis, USA Today, 5 Aug. 2025
Latin Mafia’s appearance at Lollapalooza felt, to many, like a tribute to Latin music.
—Sophie Levenson, Chicago Tribune, 4 Aug. 2025
Swedish House Mafia plays the second weekend of Tomorrowland 2025 today.
—Katie Bain, Billboard, 25 July 2025
De Soto Music and shopping together The Rhythm & Roots Market will feature Superstar Mafia from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Friday, July 25, in Downtown DeSoto.
—Debra Skodack, Kansas City Star, 23 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for Mafia
Kim Willis, USA Today, 5 Aug. 2025
Latin Mafia’s appearance at Lollapalooza felt, to many, like a tribute to Latin music.
—Sophie Levenson, Chicago Tribune, 4 Aug. 2025
Swedish House Mafia plays the second weekend of Tomorrowland 2025 today.
—Katie Bain, Billboard, 25 July 2025
De Soto Music and shopping together The Rhythm & Roots Market will feature Superstar Mafia from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Friday, July 25, in Downtown DeSoto.
—Debra Skodack, Kansas City Star, 23 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for Mafia
Recent Examples of Synonyms for Mafia
Noun
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The State Department urges Americans to reconsider travel to the area, noting a risk of violence from terrorist groups, cartels, gangs and criminal organizations.—
Pat Milton,
CBS News,
19 Feb. 2026
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André is one of the most recognizable of the gang leaders.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Labor and trade groups, including a national retirees syndicate, have issued statements condemning the economic and political crisis.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
14 Feb. 2026
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The syndicate called for the government to launch a comprehensive national survey of buildings at risk of collapse.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
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On Thursday, Dong and Nie were arrested at their home in Hacienda Heights and booked on suspicion of pimping, pandering and conspiracy.—
Summer Lin,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Feb. 2026
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Even if few of the wildest conspiracies found material support, his cultural imprint grew only larger.—
Dan Adler,
Vanity Fair,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The women’s enslaver then brought together a mob of people, who crossed into Iowa in search of the two women, but didn’t find them, according to Krupa.—
Molly Morrow,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Feb. 2026
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Some of these mob guys that were in the war would sit with me after the show.—
Mike Fleming Jr,
Deadline,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The hunt for Brach continued for years while law enforcement officers tracked down intersecting leads that led them to Matlick and a clan of criminal horsemen associated with Brach’s friend Richard Bailey.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Feb. 2026
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Mani Peninsula, Greece Stretching south from the Peloponnese, the Mani Peninsula feels defiantly separate from the rest of Greece with its stone tower houses, built for clan defense, rising from a stark landscape of scrub, sea, and sky.—
Rob Crossan,
Condé Nast Traveler,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
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FedEx also aims to build on its data and artificial intelligence capabilities to improve network planning and better predict global trade flows.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
13 Feb. 2026
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Find this story at Iowa Capital Dispatch, which is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity.—
Robin Opsahl,
Iowa Capital Dispatch,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mafia.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/Mafia. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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