as in bandit
old-fashioned
a violent criminal who is not afraid of getting hurt or caught
A documentary about some notorious desperados of the Wild West.
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Recent Examples of desperado
And sometimes the best care is not bringing in a bunch of — as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar put it — a throbbing scum of fame-hungry desperados.
—
Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 31 July 2025
The latter implies that occasionally a few or many desperados enter the Treasury markets, selling everything in sight with an eye on bringing discipline or whatever to Washington.
—John Tamny, Forbes.com, 25 May 2025
The other actors in the terrific eight-member cast — which includes Eddie Cooper, Dashiell Eaves and Ken Marks — play multiple roles as townsfolk, family members, lawmen, desperados, hucksters and suckers.
—Frank Rizzo, Variety, 27 Apr. 2025
Still, the robbery sent an Oklahoma sheriff’s posse and bloodhounds after these bungling desperados.
—Mara Bovsun, New York Daily News, 8 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for desperado
Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 31 July 2025
The latter implies that occasionally a few or many desperados enter the Treasury markets, selling everything in sight with an eye on bringing discipline or whatever to Washington.
—John Tamny, Forbes.com, 25 May 2025
The other actors in the terrific eight-member cast — which includes Eddie Cooper, Dashiell Eaves and Ken Marks — play multiple roles as townsfolk, family members, lawmen, desperados, hucksters and suckers.
—Frank Rizzo, Variety, 27 Apr. 2025
Still, the robbery sent an Oklahoma sheriff’s posse and bloodhounds after these bungling desperados.
—Mara Bovsun, New York Daily News, 8 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for desperado
Recent Examples of Synonyms for desperado
Noun
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Re-blockade will now happen at bandit camps and ruins.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
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And what gives her purpose is meeting Ruthye, who’s also endured tragedy, and wants to avenge her family’s death at the hands of the bandit Krem of the Yellow Hills (Matthias Schoenaerts).—
Kate Aurthur,
Variety,
20 May 2026
Noun
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The hero of the series is a former Olympic show jumper turned Tory member of Parliament named Rupert Campbell-Black (Alex Hassell), a sexy but cruel villain who—in the books at least—beats horses and breaks women.—
Sophie Gilbert,
The Atlantic,
10 June 2026
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Clutching a mysterious tool the shape of a mouse coffin, Firth’s villain tracks Daniel’s location by mentally transplanting himself into another person’s body, changing the color of their pupils to his own icy blue.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
10 June 2026
Noun
-
Dark Wood Furniture Dark furniture is one of the worst offenders in narrow spaces.—
Shagun Khare,
The Spruce,
7 June 2026
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It's designed for first-time offenders.—
Ricky Sayer,
CBS News,
6 June 2026
Noun
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For years, winning a major on the men’s side meant going through at least one tennis monster.—
Dan Zaksheske OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
6 June 2026
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This is because the main enemies in this game look to be large chitinous alien monsters, which your titular Gundam can slice into tiny pieces.—
Ollie Barder,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2026
Noun
-
From subtle gossip to intentional exclusion, bullying is a complex beast.—
Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal,
Parents,
5 June 2026
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The findings, detailed today in the Astrophysical Journal Letters, suggest not only that all black holes emit such a wind but also that these beasts are not total loners that are isolated from their environments.—
Jeanna Bryner,
Scientific American,
4 June 2026
Noun
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Later in the year, Blackbeard’s Pirate Jamboree honors the famed outlaw in late October to early November.—
Caroline Eubanks,
Travel + Leisure,
22 May 2026
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In 2018, Chit became the first person granted a license to open a legal Thai craft brewery, while keeping the original Chit Beer on Koh Kret for those who want the riverside, outlaw-spirit experience.—
Jim Dobson,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Desperado.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desperado. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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