Thesaurus results for MAFIA

Mafia

noun

ˈmä-fē-ə

Definition of Mafia

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

Relevance

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

Noun

For many, official pledges of justice ring hollow in a country where few gang slayings are resolved beyond what critics call token arrests, typically of low-level hit men and not the masterminds.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 26 July 2026
The government is currently setting up its own official inquiry into the gangs.

— Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 26 July 2026

Definition of gang

Noun

When he's appointed interim sheriff of a tiny Minnesota town, Ulysses intervenes in a botched bank robbery to discover a stash of gold and heavy weapons that belong to a Yakuza crime syndicate.

— K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 30 July 2026
His eventual involvement in an industry—created by smugglers and international crime syndicates, and in which big American zoos are also complicit—started with a single turtle.

— Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 29 July 2026

Definition of syndicate

Noun

In 2009, Bourke was convicted of conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act for engaging in a scheme with Kozeny to bribe Azerbaijan government officials, spending a year and one day in prison starting in 2013.

— Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 27 July 2026
Federal prosecutors charged him with bribery, conspiracy and unauthorized computer access, and Dwyer ultimately pleaded guilty.

— David Niccolini, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026

Definition of conspiracy

Noun

Fletcher, in her appeal, directly connected her tragedy to her financial loss and highlighted that the destruction of her thriving community by a violent white mob left her neighborhood and her life in ruins.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 July 2026
Those crimes were unrelated to the slaughter in Zacatecas, authorities said, but again demonstrated how mob violence continues to wreak havoc throughout Mexico.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 26 July 2026

Definition of mob

Noun

Create characters built around lifepaths, natures, clan traits, and merits.

— Jennifer Maas, Variety, 30 July 2026
The Sussex clan, which has had an estranged relationship with the royal family in recent years, met with King Charles III and Queen Camilla at Highgrove House, Charles and Camilla's private country residence in Gloucestershire, England.

— Edward Segarra, USA Today, 29 July 2026

Definition of clan

Noun

If no deal is made, people with the aforementioned health insurance plans through United will no longer be able to get in-network care with UHealth doctors and other providers across UHealth’s South Florida facilities.

— Michelle Marchante July 22, Miami Herald, 22 July 2026
Emery believed Rashford at his best was one of the most threatening attackers in the world and backed himself and his support network to rejuvenate the player.

— Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 22 July 2026

Definition of network

Browse Nearby Words

mafficks

Mafia

Mafias

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Mafia.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/Mafia. Accessed 2 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of Mafia

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on Mafia

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

highfalutin

Popular in Grammar & Usage

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Your vs. You're: How to Use Them Correctly

Popular in Wordplay

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

The Words of the Week - Jul. 31

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

Popular

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Games & Quizzes