as in pirates
a criminal who attacks and steals from travelers and who is often a member of a group of criminals
They were two of the most famous bandits of the 19th century.
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Recent Examples of bandits
Are there ways that notorious bandits have successfully robbed banks?
—
Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Swashbucklers, scoundrels, bandits and buccaneers will soon be bellying up to the bar inside a lively new pirate pub at Walt Disney World that’s already booked solid for the first two months and promises to be a must-have reservation for visitors.
—Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 29 Aug. 2025
Colossal Cave has a long history of use, including by Indigenous people, early explorers and even as a hideout for bandits.
—Olivia Rose, AZCentral.com, 21 Aug. 2025
Each episode will see the heroes explore new lands — from glittering mining mountains to secret vault cities — solving puzzles, cracking codes and outsmarting digital bandits along the way.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 20 Aug. 2025
An anonymous tipster called police to say the bandits were trying to sell their loot less than a mile away, and gave the cops Hussein’s Instagram handle, according to court filings.
—John Annese, New York Daily News, 12 Aug. 2025
The film itself lacks much of the original’s charms (here, the dogs don’t speak), and John Hughes’ so-so script borrows heavily from his earlier film Home Alone, right down to the two fumbling bandits (Hugh Laurie and Mark Williams, playing Cruella’s henchmen).
—Staff Author, EW.com, 22 Mar. 2025
Don’t the bandits live in the woods?
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 21 Mar. 2025
With the dwarfs and bandits by her side, Snow White vows to reclaim her parents’ home and restore peace to her impoverished kingdom.
—Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 21 Mar. 2025
Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Swashbucklers, scoundrels, bandits and buccaneers will soon be bellying up to the bar inside a lively new pirate pub at Walt Disney World that’s already booked solid for the first two months and promises to be a must-have reservation for visitors.
—Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 29 Aug. 2025
Colossal Cave has a long history of use, including by Indigenous people, early explorers and even as a hideout for bandits.
—Olivia Rose, AZCentral.com, 21 Aug. 2025
Each episode will see the heroes explore new lands — from glittering mining mountains to secret vault cities — solving puzzles, cracking codes and outsmarting digital bandits along the way.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 20 Aug. 2025
An anonymous tipster called police to say the bandits were trying to sell their loot less than a mile away, and gave the cops Hussein’s Instagram handle, according to court filings.
—John Annese, New York Daily News, 12 Aug. 2025
The film itself lacks much of the original’s charms (here, the dogs don’t speak), and John Hughes’ so-so script borrows heavily from his earlier film Home Alone, right down to the two fumbling bandits (Hugh Laurie and Mark Williams, playing Cruella’s henchmen).
—Staff Author, EW.com, 22 Mar. 2025
Don’t the bandits live in the woods?
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 21 Mar. 2025
With the dwarfs and bandits by her side, Snow White vows to reclaim her parents’ home and restore peace to her impoverished kingdom.
—Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 21 Mar. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bandits
Noun
-
For decades, the characters in science-fiction movies and TV shows who traveled on spaceships tended to be scientists, explorers, diplomats, soldiers, and pirates.—
Noel Murray,
Vulture,
3 Sep. 2025
-
Off the coast between Somalia and Yemen, the ship was attacked by pirates, and passengers were told to wait on Deck 5 as the captain sped up the ship.—
Kathleen Wong,
USA Today,
2 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Horse thieves murdered my father before I was born.—
Robert Easton,
Outdoor Life,
3 Sep. 2025
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Pair your new address with your date of birth (easy to find online), and thieves can open accounts in your name.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bandits.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bandits. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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