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
  • Investors bailed anyway, compounding a dreadful week capped off by the gang that couldn't shoot straight at Intel .
    — Jim Cramer, CNBC, 1 Nov. 2026
  • Since then, the country has become increasingly isolated even as the smaller Hugo Chavez International Airport in Cap-Haïtien emerged as the new international gateway amid the escalating gang violence in Port-au-Prince and neighboring cities.
    — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of gang
Noun
  • Visages closed its doors in 2000 amid the shift to digital, industry consolidation and competition from major syndicates including Getty Images and Corbis.
    — Mike Barnes, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2026
  • While some more nefarious syndicates might hold your steering or brakes for ransom, a far more common target is your private information.
    — Mike McRae October 20, New Atlas, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of syndicate
Noun
  • In 2018, Shkreli was convicted of securities fraud and conspiracy, and the Department of Justice sold the record to help pay his reparations.
    — Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Rodriguez Melendez also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of conspiracy
Noun
  • But early in his House tenure, Mitchell also helped pass a measure toughening penalties for people convicted of violent mob attacks organized through social media.
    — Jeremy Gorner, Chicago Tribune, 27 Oct. 2026
  • 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
Definition of mob
Noun
  • As the two clans battle it out on the field, regardless of who takes home the trophy Lexi may have already won at love.
    — Rachel LaBonte, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Looking forward to 2030, all eyes will turn to Bolsonaro clan ally Tarcísio de Freitas, who did not enter the presidential race and instead supported Flávio Bolsonaro.
    — David Unsworth , Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of clan
Noun
  • Researchers can tune a network’s structure using this self-adjusting behavior, which limits how many neighbors each particle binds to.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 2 Nov. 2026
  • And in September, the mayor of Atlanta announced plans for new regulations governing the city’s extensive camera networks – including Flock cameras.
    — Graham Hurley, CNN Money, 1 Nov. 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 2 Nov. 2026.

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about Mafia

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