Mafia

noun

ˈmä-fē-ə How to pronounce Mafia (audio)
Definition of Mafianext
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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of Mafia More than 30 people, including members and associates of four major Mafia crime families, Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups and ex-NBA player Damon Jones, have been ensnared in the scheme. — Tom Winter, NBC news, 10 June 2026 The Alphabet Mafia will not stand for straight attractive White girls to dominate their sport, regardless of the success that the new class has brought the league. — Joe Kinsey Outkick, FOXNews.com, 9 June 2026 The game, which is essentially Mafia, hit big with nearly 500 million monthly active users by its peak in the fourth quarter of 2020, no doubt fueled by the at-home isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic. — Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 5 June 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for Mafia
Recent Examples of Synonyms for Mafia
  1. gang
  2. syndicate
  3. conspiracy
  4. mob
  5. clan
  6. network
Noun
  • And while Haiti has committed to a handover protocol for child gang members, getting the public to accept reintegration of anyone with gang associations is likely to be challenging.
    — Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026
  • The changes, which eliminated a requirement from Haiti’s central bank that’s considered a safeguard against individual under sanctions, have raised concerns that people accused of corruption or supporting armed gangs could be elected to office.
    — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of gang
Noun
  • Despite the reactionary politics of the yakuza films, not to mention of the syndicates themselves, Ken-san was very popular among left-wing student protesters in the late nineteen-sixties.
    — Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Musk’s name is one of a number of wealthy individuals that Paramount CEO David Ellison has considered tapping for the syndicate, the people said.
    — Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of syndicate
Noun
  • The attorney general’s Office of Statewide Prosecution will assume jurisdiction over the multi-circuit criminal conspiracy case against Castro.
    — Landon Mion , Lorraine Taylor, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Florida has charged Castro alone with one count of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of conspiracy
Noun
  • Violent mobs carrying Palestinian flags clashed with police, looted hundreds of stores, and flooded social media with over 1,300 hateful anti-Semitic posts.
    — Staff, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2026
  • More than 40 people were killed, mostly Muslims, by Hindu mobs.
    — Diaa Hadid, NPR, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of mob
Noun
  • Advertisement The docuseries marks the first time the Loofe clan is sharing their side of the story, along with Nebraska investigators and an FBI agent assigned to the case.
    — Samantha Bergeson, Time, 22 Oct. 2026
  • All of these came from the family’s own archives, a treasure trove that shows the focus on craftsmanship that is almost genetic to the Prada clan.
    — Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of clan
Noun
  • Major reports about its immigration actions and pay-for-play operations have gotten significant airtime on the network and praise from Weiss.
    — semafor.com, semafor.com, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Skydance, a small production company founded by David Ellison in 2006, has turned into a media giant that unites not only two legacy Hollywood studios but also broadcasting, streaming, and news network assets.
    — David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of network

Browse Nearby Words

mafficks
Mafia
Mafias
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Cite this Entry

“Mafia.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/Mafia. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about Mafia

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