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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Recent Examples of burglar
The burglar suffered a wound to the right calf, and was taekn to UChicago Medicine where he was listed in good condition, police said.
—
Deanese Williams-Harris, Chicago Tribune, 7 Mar. 2026
She and her husband Thomas Deluca were shot to death in July after confronting a burglar in their Encino home.
—Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 28 Feb. 2026
In March, 2024, the couple was sitting on their porch, in Portland, Oregon, when a burglar, who was trying to break into a truck across the street, threatened them at gunpoint.
—Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 17 Feb. 2026
Or when Eddie chased and stopped a burglar a week before heart surgery.
—Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for burglar
Deanese Williams-Harris, Chicago Tribune, 7 Mar. 2026
She and her husband Thomas Deluca were shot to death in July after confronting a burglar in their Encino home.
—Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 28 Feb. 2026
In March, 2024, the couple was sitting on their porch, in Portland, Oregon, when a burglar, who was trying to break into a truck across the street, threatened them at gunpoint.
—Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 17 Feb. 2026
Or when Eddie chased and stopped a burglar a week before heart surgery.
—Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for burglar
Recent Examples of Synonyms for burglar
Noun
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The cemetery in Compton has experienced years of financial hardship and has been frequently targeted by thieves, who break in and take the bronze and copper plaques on headstones.—
Ruben Vives,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Apr. 2026
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In each incident, the thieves pulled up in a white Honda Civic, got out, and stole from the work vans, police said.—
Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Domingo nails it as the cutting teacher who has choice words about the robber’s style choices while his students offer their own insults.—
Omar L. Gallaga,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Apr. 2026
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His role as Robbie Prendergrast, a Philadelphia area garbage collector turned trap house robber who is hunted by the FBI, has already earned him a Critics Choice Award nomination, following Critics Choice and Emmy noms for his work in Netflix’s Ozark.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
9 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Burglar.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/burglar. Accessed 18 Apr. 2026.
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