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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of desperado
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
Martín Ramírez’s large Caballero features a magnificent desperado pointing his gun as his almost-hieroglyphic horse rears its head — a brilliant universal altarpiece.
—Jerry Saltz, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2024
The true story of the formerly enslaved man who became the first Black deputy U.S. marshal comes to life on Lawmen: Bass Reeves, an eight-episode series starring David Oyelowo as the storied gunslinger who arrested some 3,000 desperados without ever suffering a single wound.
—EW.com, 5 Nov. 2023
See All Example Sentences for desperado
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
Martín Ramírez’s large Caballero features a magnificent desperado pointing his gun as his almost-hieroglyphic horse rears its head — a brilliant universal altarpiece.
—Jerry Saltz, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2024
The true story of the formerly enslaved man who became the first Black deputy U.S. marshal comes to life on Lawmen: Bass Reeves, an eight-episode series starring David Oyelowo as the storied gunslinger who arrested some 3,000 desperados without ever suffering a single wound.
—EW.com, 5 Nov. 2023
See All Example Sentences for desperado
Recent Examples of Synonyms for desperado
Noun
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So there's always a chance that Tatum's red-eyed bandit could be making a lot more appearances in the future!—
Mekishana Pierre,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Oct. 2025
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What a perfect opportunity for the island’s shoe bandit to strike again!—
Nick Caruso,
TVLine,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
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She's been gone for over 20 years, and so to win this for a soap opera, playing a villain, is really wonderful.—
Julia Moore,
PEOPLE,
18 Oct. 2025
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Not to mention Elm Street introduced a villain for the ages in Freddy Krueger, an instant icon played by Robert Englund, whose charisma was strong enough to shine through even the thickest makeup.—
Gwen Ihnat,
Entertainment Weekly,
18 Oct. 2025
Noun
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All colors change under different lights, but white is one of the biggest offenders due to its highly reflective quality.—
Sophie Flaxman,
Better Homes & Gardens,
20 Oct. 2025
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This approach will ensure that this tool is aimed at giving the worst offenders a financial incentive to operate by the same set of rules as the rest of us.—
Wes Burdine,
Twin Cities,
19 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Many of the industry’s top outfits gain their reputations from leading monster deals or jockeying for board seats at Silicon Valley’s hottest startups.—
Leo Schwartz,
Fortune,
21 Oct. 2025
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Grossman also took a page out of Monster Jam, the touring monster truck show that her company also produces.—
Jordan Valinsky,
CNN Money,
21 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 is a 57-inch beast that comes with Dual UHD resolution (7680-by-2160) with Quantum Mini LED brilliance and HDR 1000 for deep contrast and absurdly vivid color.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
16 Oct. 2025
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With one of the biggest horror movies of the year, Zach Cregger wants his upcoming prequel to Weapons to be its own beast.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
15 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Desperado.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desperado. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.
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