as in bandit
formal + old-fashioned
a person who commits robbery usually as part of a group
Related 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 brigand
The French-language film begins in Spain circa 1845, when Antonio, the blind knife-sharpener, returns to Seville to the great delight of local brigands and soldiers, whose blades have grown dull in his absence.
—
David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 21 May 2026
Their stories live on in Sardinian lore with an almost mythical quality, the brigands admired for their intractability.
—IEEE Spectrum, 7 May 2026
As did most of the 4,500 caught in the region as feds traveled willy-nilly originally from their base at Naval Station Great Lakes in North Chicago, like roving bands of masked brigands seeking human loot.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 7 Jan. 2026
Then rumors started spreading about armed brigands that would come to town to steal what little harvest folks had left, so towns raised militias to fight back.
—Popular Science Team, Popular Science, 24 Sep. 2025
Captured by brigands, the immigrants are herded into a remote Libyan prison camp where they are tormented and tortured.
—Peter Rainer, The Christian Science Monitor, 22 Feb. 2024
Saúl is a brigand while Isabella is a noblewoman, and the tale tells of the couple’s struggle as their families oppose their union.
—Rebecca Ann Hughes, Forbes, 10 Aug. 2022
Scavenger is a brigand Gawain encounters on his journey.
—BostonGlobe.com, 30 July 2021
Looking eastward, the notion that Iran, which took hundreds of thousands of casualties in repelling an Iraqi juggernaut in the 1980s, is going to melt in terror in the face of several thousand ISIS brigands is absurd.
—Steven Simon, Foreign Affairs, 26 Aug. 2014
David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 21 May 2026
Their stories live on in Sardinian lore with an almost mythical quality, the brigands admired for their intractability.
—IEEE Spectrum, 7 May 2026
As did most of the 4,500 caught in the region as feds traveled willy-nilly originally from their base at Naval Station Great Lakes in North Chicago, like roving bands of masked brigands seeking human loot.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 7 Jan. 2026
Then rumors started spreading about armed brigands that would come to town to steal what little harvest folks had left, so towns raised militias to fight back.
—Popular Science Team, Popular Science, 24 Sep. 2025
Captured by brigands, the immigrants are herded into a remote Libyan prison camp where they are tormented and tortured.
—Peter Rainer, The Christian Science Monitor, 22 Feb. 2024
Saúl is a brigand while Isabella is a noblewoman, and the tale tells of the couple’s struggle as their families oppose their union.
—Rebecca Ann Hughes, Forbes, 10 Aug. 2022
Scavenger is a brigand Gawain encounters on his journey.
—BostonGlobe.com, 30 July 2021
Looking eastward, the notion that Iran, which took hundreds of thousands of casualties in repelling an Iraqi juggernaut in the 1980s, is going to melt in terror in the face of several thousand ISIS brigands is absurd.
—Steven Simon, Foreign Affairs, 26 Aug. 2014
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brigand
Noun
-
Re-blockade will now happen at bandit camps and ruins.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
-
And what gives her purpose is meeting Ruthye, who’s also endured tragedy, and wants to avenge her family’s death at the hands of the bandit Krem of the Yellow Hills (Matthias Schoenaerts).—
Kate Aurthur,
Variety,
20 May 2026
Noun
-
Shortly before midnight on May 23, 1798, highwaymen just north of Dublin intercepted and set on fire a mail coach headed to Belfast.—
Joseph Patrick Kelly,
The Conversation,
20 May 2025
-
The sybaritic highwayman Macheath maneuvers between a cutthroat capitalist milieu (Mr. and Mrs. Peachum) and a corrupt police force (led by Tiger Brown) while seducing daughters from both worlds (Polly Peachum and Lucy Brown).—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
14 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
There’s a dedicated kitchen for cooking classes, a craft and activity room as well as a pirate ship playground outside.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
1 June 2026
-
However, the fact that the monster is dressed like a pirate suggests that the seagull’s presence is symbolic, invoking sailor superstitions around sea birds.—
Dani Di Placido,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
Noun
-
Russian athletes are routinely asked to answer for the actions of their government, yet athletes from other countries are rarely subjected to the same scrutiny or treated as though they are personally aligned with war criminals or dictators.—
Jon Root OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
7 June 2026
-
Rafay Baloch, a cybersecurity expert and author of the book Web Hacking Arsenal, says that criminals specifically look for travelers who appear disoriented.—
Christopher Elliott,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2026
Noun
-
The bombshells, Gabriel from Brazil and Kayda from New Hampshire, arrive like sexy assassins and silently start making out with everyone standing on a red dot.—
Kathleen Walsh,
Vulture,
3 June 2026
-
His legacy as one of rap’s great subliminal assassins is one of the most impressive parts of his career.—
Jayson Buford,
Rolling Stone,
3 June 2026
Noun
-
Later in the year, Blackbeard’s Pirate Jamboree honors the famed outlaw in late October to early November.—
Caroline Eubanks,
Travel + Leisure,
22 May 2026
-
In 2018, Chit became the first person granted a license to open a legal Thai craft brewery, while keeping the original Chit Beer on Koh Kret for those who want the riverside, outlaw-spirit experience.—
Jim Dobson,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2026
Noun
-
California Highway Patrol officers are assigned to the Express Lanes and those toll roads and can certainly see expired tags and choose to pull over offenders.—
Jim Radcliffe,
Oc Register,
29 May 2026
-
Davis was arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder and possession of a weapon by a previous offender.—
Katie Langford,
Denver Post,
28 May 2026
Noun
-
While body armor is legal for most Americans to own, felons with a history of violence are barred from possessing it.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
30 May 2026
-
Lowell Patrol Sergeant Vincent Fernandez was hit by a car driven by a fleeing felon in 2016.—
Louisa Moller,
CBS News,
28 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Brigand.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brigand. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
