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
  • The panel describe a persistent gang presence in rural communities including Nouvelle-Touraine, Bongars, Grand Fond, Belle Fontaine, Belot, Furcy, Kafou Bèt and Sourçailles.
    — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 10 Oct. 2026
  • In a second complaint unsealed Wednesday, authorities allege that a few months after the U-Haul incident, a gang member fired a barrage of bullets at a man who owed Argumedo money.
    — Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, 9 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
  • Corruption schemes The first indictment, filed in Miami in 2019, accuses Pulido and Saab of participating in a money laundering conspiracy involving a Venezuelan government contract to build low-income housing.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Orphaned, the children are taken in by their irreverent aunt Berta, and begin a new life in the big city in a house frequented by intellectuals and where all kinds of political conspiracies are hatched.
    — Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of conspiracy
Noun
  • The real gem of Forth is Il Premio, a glam Italian steakhouse that would make any mob wife feel right at home with its moody lighting, mahogany tones, black subway tile, and a playful horse motif.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Bow down to the left-wing media mob to appease podcasters like Wilder and Hill?
    — Dan Zaksheske OutKick, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of mob
Noun
  • The Worth clan, especially the demure yet hungry-eyed adult daughter Penny, played by Gail Russell, nurses Quirt back to health after his opening-credits shootout with the Laredo gang — of which Quirt’s a member, looking to get out.
    — Michael Phillips, Variety, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The streamer and Shondaland announced Thursday that an untitled spinoff about the early life of the future matriarch of the Bridgerton clan is in the works.
    — Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of clan
Noun
  • Another network had received the notification by late Saturday, according to a person familiar with the situation, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to share sensitive details.
    — Miriam Waldvogel, Arkansas Online, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Tellingly, the network seemed to know the difference in its official response, acknowledging that the original piece contained errors.
    — Max Tani, semafor.com, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of network

Browse Nearby Words

mafficks
Mafia
Mafias
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Mafia.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/Mafia. Accessed 15 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on Mafia

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about Mafia

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