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
  • In late March, a gang used a tractor to batter down a fence before two masked burglars broke into the Magnani Rocca Foundation, a private museum about 12 miles from the northern Italian city of Parma.
    — Willem Marx, NPR, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Others also said Knight was associated with the gang, including Davis and Devonta Lee, a Crip who testified before the grand jury in Davis’ case in 2023.
    — Taylor Romine, CNN Money, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of gang
Noun
  • No, this a league run by an elite, backroom syndicate where real power-brokers hatch blockbuster moves long before any transaction window officially opens.
    — Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Informal mining is a deep problem in South Africa and is connected to criminal syndicates, according to authorities.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of syndicate
Noun
  • Another person, Robert Zanolla, faces charges of felony conspiracy and criminal use of a communication facility, as well as related misdemeanors, the office said.
    — Kevin Shalvey, ABC News, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Tenon was charged with conspiracy to commit murder, second-degree murder with a weapon, accessory after the fact to a capital felony and child abuse, Nelson said at the time.
    — Danya Gainor, CNN Money, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of conspiracy
Noun
  • But Scott Burnstein, a mob historian and journalist from Detroit, says Cacioppo has connections with figures involved in the mob.
    — Jack Harvel August 17, Kansas City Star, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Either way, eventually the discontent reaches a fever pitch and thousands of smallfolk form a mob and storm the Dragonpit.
    — James Grebey, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of mob
Noun
  • Unlike many agrarian states, which relied on centralized bureaucracies and hereditary elites, Mongol political culture emphasized personal loyalty, military ability, and flexible leadership within clan networks.
    — Ethan Teekah, Encyclopedia Britannica, 13 Aug. 2026
  • The five-person clan (including a charming Max Greenfield as patriarch Ted, and Eitan Friedman and Matan Friedman as those wild brothers) live in relative domestic tranquility in Small Town Anywhere, USA.
    — Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of clan
Noun
  • One of the biggest inefficiencies keeping electricity costs high lies in the distribution network itself, Manga said.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Bezos, who stepped down as CEO five years ago, pledged in 2013 to build a network of drones to deliver small packages in 30 minutes or less.
    — Annie Palmer, CNBC, 19 Aug. 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 20 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on Mafia

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about Mafia

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