cabals 1 of 2

plural of cabal
as in Mafias
a group involved in secret or criminal activities a conspiracy theory about the existence of an international cabal devoted to world domination

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

cabals

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of cabal

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 cabals
Noun
Thomas Pynchon’s latest novel, Shadow Ticket, set in 1932 Milwaukee, takes place in a landscape of industrial ghosts, strike-breakers, fascist sympathizers and absurdist cabals. Literary Hub, 10 Dec. 2025 With a story of secret cabals and a child born to rule, Dumont projects the nasty prejudices and bureaucratic rigors of local politics, the tangles of family allegiances, and the tender grunge of young lust into divine and diabolical clashes run from celestial and subterranean castles. Justin Chang, New Yorker, 5 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cabals
Noun
  • Police say that digital forms of theft such as tap-to-pay schemes and app fraud are allowing Chinese gangs to rake in as much as $1 billion a year.
    Alex Harring, CNBC, 17 July 2026
  • For instance, in 2009, seven Minneapolis-area Somali men were killed over a 10-month period, and authorities believed that they were all murdered by fellow Somalis who belong to gangs.
    Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 17 July 2026
Verb
  • But the rub this time is the introduction of Varang (Oona Chaplin), an unhinged leader of a tribe who allies herself with human villains.
    Brian Truitt, USA Today, 3 July 2026
  • The ash people’s perspective allies them with the group looking to strip-mine Pandora’s resources.
    David Sims, The Atlantic, 19 Dec. 2025
Noun
  • The red card was rescinded; the team was unmoored; conspiracies grew overnight, like mushrooms; and a merciless Belgium swept in and trampled, 4–1, on what remained.
    Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 17 July 2026
  • When Argentina played Egypt in the round of 16, the conspiracies exploded.
    Adam Crafton, New York Times, 13 July 2026
Verb
  • That advantage was in large part offset by payments from UEFA’s ‘value pillar’, a mechanism which awards clubs money based upon their coefficient ranking (determined by past performance in European competition) and the size of their nation’s broadcast rights deal for the competition.
    Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 30 May 2026
  • Their top-30 visits, where NFL clubs host prospects at their facilities to gather further intel, are often smokescreens.
    Luca Evans, Denver Post, 19 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Rather than working in large criminal syndicates as many Westerners assume, Yahoo Boys typically work alone, asking victims for money – most often in the form of gift cards.
    Mackenzie Farkus, Christian Science Monitor, 13 July 2026
  • Until then, global syndicates will happily roll the dice on street-level arrests while the corporate entities handling the cash enable the pipeline.
    Ari Maas, New York Daily News, 11 July 2026
Verb
  • The team collaborates closely with global commercial bankers, Merrill, the private bank and the local market organization.
    Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 15 July 2026
  • King Princess has also worked closely with Aaron Dessner, who often collaborates with Swift.
    Janey Wetzel, PEOPLE, 5 July 2026
Noun
  • The two airlines have built their businesses around higher-spending travelers, international networks, and lucrative loyalty programs.
    Phil Wahba, Fortune, 19 July 2026
  • Such systems could support future wireless communication technologies operating beyond today’s networks, while also enabling portable imaging devices, chemical sensing systems, industrial inspection tools, and advanced remote-sensing platforms.
    Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 19 July 2026
Noun
  • The Richards family is one of America’s richest clans, thanks to its electrical manufacturing company Southwire.
    Simone Melvin, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026
  • Warrior Cats is based on Erin Hunter’s feline book series that follows the adventures and drama of multiple clans of feral cats.
    Max Goldbart, Deadline, 18 June 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cabals.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cabals. Accessed 23 Jul. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on cabals

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster