Mafias

plural of Mafia
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
  • As Brazil has lost the ability to control its own security agenda, decisions about how to handle criminal gangs operating from its territory are increasingly made outside the country.
    — MATIAS SPEKTOR, Foreign Affairs, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Around Wedela, Reuters reported that criminal gangs run the operations and use armed men to protect their territory.
    — Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Ramaphosa announced that soldiers would be deployed to support police in tackling gang violence, as the government steps up its fight against criminal syndicates.
    — Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 23 Sep. 2026
  • 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
Noun
  • In an interview with Elle, Reinhart addressed fan conspiracies about Bateman’s casting.
    — Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 25 Sep. 2026
  • As the longtime partners wrestle with their dark pasts and present conspiracies, Chris’ newfound bond with a pair of students (Mariana di Girolamo and Ailín Salas) threatens to send everyone’s trip sideways.
    — Patrick Hipes, Deadline, 23 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Ali Mahmoud Ali, the group's Sudan analyst, said that the latest clashes risk bringing in more Nuba clans into the fight and could increase divisions across South Kordofan, where communities are facing an already dire humanitarian situation.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 Sep. 2026
  • All Palestinian clans and families in Gaza would also be a target for disarmament, which would have an impact on the future of Hamas and Palestinian armed struggle.
    — Mkhaimar Abusada, The Conversation, 6 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • The constitutional question has been litigated many times, and by our count, every state or federal appellate court that’s ruled on the issue has concluded that ALPR networks are within bounds of the Fourth Amendment.
    — Rafael A. Mangual, Washington Post, 2 Oct. 2026
  • As defense shifts from traditional armor toward connected missile-defense grids and real-time targeting, its components become increasingly central to the weapons and sensing systems that make those networks work.
    — Harvey Stober, CNBC, 2 Oct. 2026
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Cite this Entry

“Mafias.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/Mafias. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.

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