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 Altadena boy was fatally shot on a relative’s porch in 2016 when a gunman opened fire on a group, apparently targeting an adult gang member who survived.—
Seamus Bozeman
Follow,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
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Twelve people were arrested on federal and state charges during the joint-enforcement operation, which authorities said dismantled a significant drug trafficking network with ties to the Sinaloa Cartel, responsible for providing cocaine to the Norteños criminal street gang.—
Reeti Malhotra,
Sacbee.com,
11 June 2026
Noun
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Allen argues that Junius was actually a syndicate of authors acting under Richmond’s general direction, with Paine and Burke among the principals.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
8 June 2026
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But Goldman’s syndicate desk knows little about retail.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
31 May 2026
Noun
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Initial crowds were eager to watch the twisty conspiracy thriller on the biggest and brightest screens, with premium large formats representing a mighty 48% of grosses.—
Rebecca Rubin,
Variety,
14 June 2026
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And in a political climate where unsupported conspiracies about election fraud can run rampant on social media — pushed, at times, by top political leaders — some fear the slow vote count is becoming a liability.—
Grace Toohey,
Los Angeles Times,
14 June 2026
Noun
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Barry follows a depressed ex‑Marine hitman (Hader, in the title role) who turns to acting for salvation while tangling with the Chechen mob in Los Angeles.—
Stephen Rodrick,
Rolling Stone,
16 June 2026
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Meanwhile, Romanian-Hungarian director Cristina Groșan (Ordinary Failures, which premiered and was awarded at Venice) will present her mob drama Lesdenzero, a co-production between Czechia, Switzerland, Hungary and Romania.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
16 June 2026
Noun
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At the end of the second season, multiple armies were mustering for war over King's Landing as the Targaryen clan just couldn't stop betraying each other long enough to govern.—
K. Thor Jensen,
PC Magazine,
12 June 2026
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The event consists of live music, competition events such as highland dancing and sheepdog trials, food vendors and educational classes on what Scottish clans are.—
Carlos Rico,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 June 2026
Noun
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The network declined to comment to EW regarding the current status of the investigation, and an attorney for Del Rio didn't respond to request for comment.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
12 Dec. 2025
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The ultra-fast transmission was enabled by a deterministic network channel that guarantees dedicated bandwidth, ultra-low latency, and near-zero packet loss.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mafia.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/Mafia. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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