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 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 Latin Mafia’s appearance at Lollapalooza felt, to many, like a tribute to Latin music. — Sophie Levenson, Chicago Tribune, 4 Aug. 2025 Swedish House Mafia plays the second weekend of Tomorrowland 2025 today. — Katie Bain, Billboard, 25 July 2025 De Soto Music and shopping together The Rhythm & Roots Market will feature Superstar Mafia from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Friday, July 25, in Downtown DeSoto. — Debra Skodack, Kansas City Star, 23 July 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
  • Youssef alleged the property later became associated with gang activity, narcotics activity, prostitution and violence.
    — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 5 July 2026
  • The gang travel through France, Switzerland and Italy towards their final destination of Greece, picking up a pop group and a mysterious American singer along the way.
    — Will Barker, TheWeek, 2 July 2026
Definition of gang
Noun
  • The act behind the most bewildering ambient techno of the past 15 years is not a shadowy syndicate or group of evil geniuses.
    — Andrew Ryce, Pitchfork, 6 July 2026
  • Lucky Number Slevin, a movie about mistaken identity, rival crime syndicates, and assassins, was, for some reason (Josh Hartnett), one of the comfort movies of my childhood.
    — Tamim Alnuweiri, InStyle, 1 July 2026
Definition of syndicate
Noun
  • No, but there were certain things that came up about the wider conspiracy.
    — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 13 July 2026
  • The ruling covers four Proud Boys whose sentences Trump commuted, while a separate bid to overturn Oath Keepers’ seditious conspiracy convictions have yet to be decided.
    — Michael Kunzelman, Los Angeles Times, 12 July 2026
Definition of conspiracy
Noun
  • But he's forced into a higher-stakes heist by Oscar (Mamoudou Athie), a more sinister class of criminal, involving a money-laundering woman (Sasha Calle) and a mob lawyer (Jeffrey Donovan).
    — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 10 July 2026
  • Florida was the epicenter of America’s backlash to wokeness, the progressive frenzy on race and gender enforced by social media mobs around 2020.
    — Editorial Board, Washington Post, 9 July 2026
Definition of mob
Noun
  • There was big news for the Fanning clan on Wednesday morning, with Dakota Fanning nominated for her role in Peacock‘s limited series All Her Fault and Elle Fanning nominated for Apple TV comedy series Margo’s Got Money Troubles.
    — Antonia Blyth, Deadline, 8 July 2026
  • The Richards family is one of America’s richest clans, thanks to its electrical manufacturing company Southwire.
    — Simone Melvin, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026
Definition of clan
Noun
  • Manufacturing and consumer platforms Stocks in manufacturing and consumer platforms that Goldman recommends to investors are those that combine large-scale production assets, distribution networks and durable customer demand.
    — Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 8 July 2026
  • The German predator network managed to thrive despite clear violations of Telegram’s terms of service, again raising questions about how the platform has been used for criminal activity.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 July 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 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on Mafia

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about Mafia

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