as in bully
a person who teases, threatens, or hurts smaller, weaker, or more vulnerable persons
residents reported on some bullyboys who were causing problems at the park
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bullyboy
Beijing’s bullyboy tactics were starting to hit uncomfortably close to home.
—
Mark L. Clifford, WSJ, 27 Jan. 2022
Barletta was a friend and former student of George Shultz, then U.S. secretary of state, and suddenly critics of Noriega’s bullyboy rule found a more attentive audience within the Reagan administration.
—Glenn Garvin, miamiherald, 30 May 2017
The election campaign was, in retrospect, the ultimate Trump display of bullyboy arrogance.
—Michael D'antonio, CNN, 18 May 2017
Chaffetz’s shtick — bullyboy investigator targeting the right’s bogeymen — worked when Hillary Clinton and/or President Obama were his targets.
—Jennifer Rubin, The Denver Post, 20 Apr. 2017
Mark L. Clifford, WSJ, 27 Jan. 2022
Barletta was a friend and former student of George Shultz, then U.S. secretary of state, and suddenly critics of Noriega’s bullyboy rule found a more attentive audience within the Reagan administration.
—Glenn Garvin, miamiherald, 30 May 2017
The election campaign was, in retrospect, the ultimate Trump display of bullyboy arrogance.
—Michael D'antonio, CNN, 18 May 2017
Chaffetz’s shtick — bullyboy investigator targeting the right’s bogeymen — worked when Hillary Clinton and/or President Obama were his targets.
—Jennifer Rubin, The Denver Post, 20 Apr. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bullyboy
Noun
-
Eastern Forest Tick Examined under a microscope, this minuscule parasite bears an uncanny resemblance to your childhood bully, right down to its mullet and Van Halen T-shirt.—
Jay Ruttenberg,
New Yorker,
8 June 2026
-
Though bullies exist here, the creators avoid unnecessary violence and lean into emotion.—
Allison McClain Merrill,
Parents,
8 June 2026
Noun
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Because the Russian commanders keep attacking anyway, the Ukrainians are killing and wounding thousands of enemy soldiers, perhaps as many as 30,000, every month.—
Anne Applebaum,
The Atlantic,
7 June 2026
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Hunger and disease are always enemies that accompany war and sometimes can claim more lives than the fighting itself.—
William Lambers,
Hartford Courant,
6 June 2026
Noun
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All the while, Sarah is being hunted by corporate intimidators Dawson (Sam Worthington) and Rosetti (Willa Fitzgerald), who want to ensure her silence.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
22 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The actions of these thugs, who should be imprisoned for a long while, is the cause of denying real Knicks fans the chance to watch the game communally.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
10 June 2026
-
People have committed suicide because a bunch of thugs went after them.—
NBC news,
NBC news,
7 June 2026
Noun
-
The third and fourth sections are, respectively, a somewhat non-traditional perpetrator and a man who seeks out his abuser many years later.—
The Know,
Denver Post,
4 June 2026
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Yet the surrounding circumstances aren’t exactly those of the average substance abuser.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
1 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bullyboy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bullyboy. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
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