1
as in idiots
a stupid person
an unfortunate tendency to call those who disagree with him "brainless goons"
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in thugs
a violent, brutal person who is often a member of an organized gang
the crime boss threatened to send the goons after him if he squealed
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of goons
Now, fresh reporting by the New York Times documents the wild ride that turned a group of crypto goons into a national laughing stock.
—
Joe Wilkins Published Feb 5, Futurism, 5 Feb. 2026
Get your goons out of Minnesota.
—Becca Longmire, PEOPLE, 29 Jan. 2026
Senate Democrats should continue to block Homeland Security funding until the goons are gone from Minnesota and Noem is gone from Washington.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 29 Jan. 2026
He’s aided by Jessica Jones, who uses her super strength (and sarcasm) to beat up Kingpin’s goons.
—Jordan Moreau, Variety, 27 Jan. 2026
The fear caused by her masked goons and their disregard of due process leaves us citizens afraid to leave their homes.
—Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 22 Jan. 2026
The recent senseless death of an innocent woman by ICE goons could be the last straw.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 16 Jan. 2026
But the sequences featuring Jimmy Crystal and his goons are far more sadistic, and needlessly unpleasant.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 14 Jan. 2026
But when Theo decides to sell to Dwight instead, Dunmire's goons kill the old man by setting his home ablaze.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Nov. 2025
Joe Wilkins Published Feb 5, Futurism, 5 Feb. 2026
Get your goons out of Minnesota.
—Becca Longmire, PEOPLE, 29 Jan. 2026
Senate Democrats should continue to block Homeland Security funding until the goons are gone from Minnesota and Noem is gone from Washington.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 29 Jan. 2026
He’s aided by Jessica Jones, who uses her super strength (and sarcasm) to beat up Kingpin’s goons.
—Jordan Moreau, Variety, 27 Jan. 2026
The fear caused by her masked goons and their disregard of due process leaves us citizens afraid to leave their homes.
—Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 22 Jan. 2026
The recent senseless death of an innocent woman by ICE goons could be the last straw.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 16 Jan. 2026
But the sequences featuring Jimmy Crystal and his goons are far more sadistic, and needlessly unpleasant.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 14 Jan. 2026
But when Theo decides to sell to Dwight instead, Dunmire's goons kill the old man by setting his home ablaze.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for goons
Noun
-
Franchises are lost because of proud idiots.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
3 Feb. 2026
-
This happens often enough when one administration succeeds another, to be sure, with the new team insisting that its predecessors were idiots, but the Hegseth Pentagon carries such insults to a new level.—
Eliot A. Cohen,
The Atlantic,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The forces involved in this deadly crackdown include the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), its Basij thugs and various divisions of Iran’s security forces.—
Hamid Kashani,
Twin Cities,
5 Feb. 2026
-
When three murderous thugs attempt to reclaim the contraband from Susan, a nightmarish scenario unfolds during the two-hour stage story.—
Philip Potempa,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The Dilbert principle — traced back to a quote in a 1995 strip — posited that managers and higher-ups are actually successful morons whose stubbornness is confused for real leadership qualities.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Overwhelmingly, though, the most common response was to seek confirmation of their suspicions that Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers were morons.—
Rosa Lyster,
Harpers Magazine,
30 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
There’s no word on ICE having a special decoder ring that tracks only the criminals.—
Tressie McMillan Cottom,
Mercury News,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Houser said that because the majority of Americans support removing serious criminals, the White House muddies the waters in an effort to maintain support for mass deportations.—
Trevor Hughes,
USA Today,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Beating these lunatics was incredible, right?—
Joey Garrison,
USA Today,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Shame on the leadership of Minnesota — and the lunatics in the street.—
WCCO Staff,
CBS News,
24 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
In the film, the twins return from Chicago in the early 1930s, which inspired Carter to turn to photos of Chicago gangsters from the era.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Ryan Gosling plays an American expat in Bangkok who gets in over his head with some local gangsters.—
Mark Olsen,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Head coach Patty Gasso and her bunch remain the biggest villains in the Texas softball universe.—
Thomas Jones,
Austin American Statesman,
6 Feb. 2026
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As the Masters of the Universe makes its way to the big screen, one of Saturday morning cartoons’ most iconic villains is getting the cinematic treatment.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The bandits are those who help themselves and cause others a loss.—
Jonny Thomson,
Big Think,
11 Feb. 2026
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The West African nation has been fighting an insurgency for more than a decade, with Boko Haram and its splinter group, the Islamic State of West Africa Province, in addition to several amorphous groups commonly referred to as bandits.—
Pelumi Salako,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Goons.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/goons. Accessed 13 Feb. 2026.
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