as in bandits
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 brigands
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
Popular Science Team, Popular Science, 24 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brigands
Noun
-
The bandits are those who help themselves and cause others a loss.—
Jonny Thomson,
Big Think,
11 Feb. 2026
-
The West African nation has been fighting an insurgency for more than a decade, with Boko Haram and its splinter group, the Islamic State of West Africa Province, in addition to several amorphous groups commonly referred to as bandits.—
Pelumi Salako,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Violence is widespread in the city proper, with large encampments where meth and other drugs are readily available and criminals reportedly exploit the city’s free bus system to carry out offenses.—
Michael Ruiz , Adriana James-Rodil,
FOXNews.com,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Godwin is well known in the space, having assisted law enforcement nationwide leading to the removal of hundreds of criminals from the streets.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
New data names the top ten worst states for porch pirates, with Rhode Island placing seventh.—
Will Richmond,
The Providence Journal,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Within hours, Matt is abducted by a gang of ruthless pirates led by Langbore (Copley).—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
These are desperadoes in the White House.—
Anne Thompson,
IndieWire,
26 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
After diplomatic negotiations, the Iranian state called off its assassins in 1998.—
Anderson Cooper,
CBS News,
9 Feb. 2026
-
One week later, on May 15, assassins forced Valdez, 50, from his car at midday and shot him at least a dozen times in downtown Culiacán, the capital of Sinaloa state.—
Foreign Correspondent,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Cowley wants to champion policies that attack the root causes of violence while holding offenders accountable, according to her campaign website.—
Olivia Stevens,
Chicago Tribune,
15 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
-
Ciri, unbeknowest to her surrogate ma and pa, is free of her Nilfgaardian captors and on the run with a band of adolescent ruffians, and perhaps figuring out how to take care of herself.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
30 Oct. 2025
-
When both young people meet their end the Baron saves Christina by putting Hans’ brain in Christina’s body, uniting their blurred identities in a joint thirst for revenge, creating a Gothic avenger who hunts down the aristocratic ruffians who ruined their happiness.—
Rory Doherty,
Vulture,
20 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Santiago Ajsac Sirin never recovered after he was attacked by a group of crooks on Second Ave.—
Rebecca White,
New York Daily News,
15 Feb. 2026
-
But hopes that the punch was a wake-up call to the crooks.—
Jermont Terry,
CBS News,
15 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Brigands.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brigands. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
