burglar

noun

Definition of burglarnext
as in thief
a person who illegally enters a building in order to steal things; a person who commits burglary The burglar had broken into several homes in the neighborhood.

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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 burglar For example, the 60-year-old burglar who's already done three of his five years might prove as much. — Arkansas Online, 27 Oct. 2026 Notably in October 2024, burglars broke into several shipping containers on a freight train in the West Side's Austin community in an hours-long daylight heist. — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 27 Oct. 2026 The film follows a Polish burglar who assumes the identity of a dead stranger’s girlfriend, with unexpected results. — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 18 Oct. 2026 Europe’s weak spots While the problem is global, European galleries are particularly enticing for burglars, according to Brand. — Lianne Kolirin, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for burglar
Recent Examples of Synonyms for burglar
  1. thief
  2. robber
Noun
  • French President Emmanuel Macron gave a warning this week that thieves would be apprehended.
    — Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The new series picks up four years later, as Assane is released and pledges to go straight and repair his relationship with his family, only for a copycat thief to once more drag him to the criminal side.
    — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of thief
Noun
  • Romero retired from the NYPD as a detective in 2001, a year after he was shot while off duty by armed robbers at his family-run laundromat in Brooklyn, law enforcement sources told ABC New York City station WABC.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The series opens from the police perspective, but later the story rewinds and is told through the eyes of the robbers and and their hostages inside the bank.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of robber

Browse Nearby Words

burghers
burglar
burglaries
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Burglar.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/burglar. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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