variants
or desperados
as in bandits
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 desperadoes
Most are not desperados on the run.
—
William Morris, Des Moines Register, 4 Mar. 2026
These are desperadoes in the White House.
—Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 26 Nov. 2025
William Morris, Des Moines Register, 4 Mar. 2026
These are desperadoes in the White House.
—Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 26 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for desperadoes
Noun
-
Set against mountainous landscapes and rural lakes, the story follows a wandering swordsman who is falsely accused of stealing a shipment of gold and must unravel a web of intrigue involving bandits, palace guards and corrupt officials while attempting to clear his name.—
Lin Ying-Hsuan,
Variety,
18 Mar. 2026
-
Alongside attacks by bandits, Nigeria is also plagued by an insurgency fought by the Boko Haram extremist group and its splinter faction, the Islamic State West Africa Province.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Anyone can see how many cases are filed, how much attorneys collect, and who the worst offenders are.—
Tom Manzo,
Oc Register,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Punish the worst offenders by requiring them to apologize, publicly, for missing the mark.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Design There’s a reason James Bond villains chase 007’s Aston Martin in fleets of black Defenders.—
John Scott Lewinski,
Robb Report,
8 Apr. 2026
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In the two-parter, which airs April 14 (8PM – 10 PM), the series’ central character, Amy (Molly Parker) will risk her life for one of the series’ main villains, Richard (Scott Wolf), who had killed a patient, tried to cover it up and blamed it on Amy, almost ending her career.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Expect to encounter other magical creatures and fantastic beasts along the way.—
Brady MacDonald,
Oc Register,
3 Apr. 2026
-
The zoo christened the beasts Gaston and Kathrin in the Glocks’ honor.—
Simon Akam,
Vanity Fair,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The nonlinear experience will feature show moments with each of the four monsters and a finale with a different ending every night.—
Brady MacDonald,
Oc Register,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Explore this gallery of ghastly classic movie monsters.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Desperadoes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desperadoes. Accessed 9 Apr. 2026.
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