as in gangs
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for Mafias
Noun
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In January, gangs in Guatemala retaliated against police after authorities put down riots in three prisons.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Feb. 2026 -
My key priorities include prosecuting violent offenders, gangs, traffickers, fentanyl dealers, and cartels; supporting local law enforcement; pursuing lawsuits to defend Texas; and aggressively investigating and prosecuting fraud.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Adams put together a portfolio of his workday doodles and sent it to several newspaper syndicates.—
Chris Koseluk,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Jan. 2026
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Outside the capital, guerrilla groups and organized crime syndicates are exploiting the power vacuum along Venezuela’s borders and in its resource-rich interior.—
Emma Bussey,
FOXNews.com,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Even if few of the wildest conspiracies found material support, his cultural imprint grew only larger.—
Dan Adler,
Vanity Fair,
14 Feb. 2026
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Kennedy has made no bones about his misplaced skepticism of mRNA vaccines, pinging off the proliferating conspiracies around the COVID vaccines — incredible innovations that saved countless lives during one of the worst global catastrophes in recent memory.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
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But, as is often the case with the Fraser and MacKenzie clans, drama was never far behind.—
Amy Wilkinson,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Feb. 2026
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Ten clans or more gather at the end of the movie.—
Ingrid Schmidt,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Federal agencies halted overdose-surveillance networks, delayed youth smoking data, scaled back food-safety pathogen monitoring and purged transgender health information from websites.—
Mike Stobbe,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Feb. 2026
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Colbert and Talarico have said that their interview was not allowed to air because of the enforcement of the FCC’s equal time rule, a rule that requires broadcast networks to grant equal time to opposing candidates running for the same office.—
Molly Parks,
The Washington Examiner,
18 Feb. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Mafias.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/Mafias. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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