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

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
  1. gang
  2. syndicate
  3. conspiracy
  4. mob
  5. clan
  6. network
Noun
  • McFarlane, Jonathan Bowlan, Orion Kerkering and the gang could then take on lesser roles.
    — Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Bakewell’s donations weren’t the only ones to pose issues for Brotherhood Crusade, which provides an array of services aimed at keeping kids from joining gangs.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of gang
Noun
  • Complex investigations to dismantle drug trafficking syndicates can require advanced equipment, Casey Rayborn Hicks, a spokesperson for the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office, wrote in a statement.
    — Aneri Pattani — KFF Health News, STAT, 27 Aug. 2026
  • When he's appointed interim sheriff of a tiny Minnesota town, Ulysses Richardson intervenes in a botched bank robbery, discovering a stash of gold and heavy weapons that belong to a Yakuza crime syndicate.
    — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of syndicate
Noun
  • Chetal pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges in November 2024 and awaits sentencing.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Noreus pleaded guilty in June to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
    — Annie Martin, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of conspiracy
Noun
  • The show, which debuted in 2025, centers on clashing mob families and stars Brosnan and Mirren as Harrigan crime family patriarch and matriarch Conrad and Maeve, respectively.
    — Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
  • In Iran, Afghans have been attacked by mobs and baselessly accused of collaborating with Israel; some legal residents have had police tear up their documents in front of them.
    — The Week US, TheWeek, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of mob
Noun
  • For the exterior, the clan enlisted the same architect and builder the wife’s sister had used on a prior house.
    — Tori Latham, Robb Report, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The O’Connell clan’s reach extended far beyond a little bribery and ballot stuffing.
    — Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of clan
Noun
  • Mint is a subsidiary of T-Mobile and has access to the that carrier's massive network.
    — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 8 Sep. 2026
  • According to Florida corporate records cited in the lawsuit, Camero is a director and vice president of Televen International, the network’s Florida affiliate, while his father, Omar Camero Zamora, is a director and its president.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 8 Sep. 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 11 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on Mafia

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about Mafia

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of patina

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

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

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

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

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Popular

See More

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

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All