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
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
The catch is that he’s being stalked by McCone (Lee Pace), a hunter with an impeccable catch-and-kill record, and his psychopathic goons.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 11 Nov. 2025
Our heavily armored alien menace starts taking out drug cartel goons and making a mess, and a couple of cops (Danny Glover and Bill Paxton) plus an unhinged DEA agent (Gary Busey) are on the case to investigate.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 9 Nov. 2025
Even the combative Venezuela of eight years ago, where kids with homemade shields assembled in the streets day after day to battle the dictatorship’s goons, is a fading memory.
—Quico Toro, The Atlantic, 4 Nov. 2025
The two men do eventually join forces, however, once Dante’s goons cross an unforgivable line.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 28 Oct. 2025
Sunyata is the bougie, cultish wellness retreat Lee suggests for Betty Jo’s hideaway — a place where Donald Washberg and his goons on the police force can’t find her.
—Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2025
Sometimes his quest for the truth takes the shape of a prototypical thriller—rendezvous at dive bars, threats issued by shadowy goons in parking lots.
—Judy Berman, Time, 9 Oct. 2025
Goodie looks around for two seconds and clocks that Cole and his goons are running a scam.
—Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 5 Oct. 2025
Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Nov. 2025
The catch is that he’s being stalked by McCone (Lee Pace), a hunter with an impeccable catch-and-kill record, and his psychopathic goons.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 11 Nov. 2025
Our heavily armored alien menace starts taking out drug cartel goons and making a mess, and a couple of cops (Danny Glover and Bill Paxton) plus an unhinged DEA agent (Gary Busey) are on the case to investigate.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 9 Nov. 2025
Even the combative Venezuela of eight years ago, where kids with homemade shields assembled in the streets day after day to battle the dictatorship’s goons, is a fading memory.
—Quico Toro, The Atlantic, 4 Nov. 2025
The two men do eventually join forces, however, once Dante’s goons cross an unforgivable line.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 28 Oct. 2025
Sunyata is the bougie, cultish wellness retreat Lee suggests for Betty Jo’s hideaway — a place where Donald Washberg and his goons on the police force can’t find her.
—Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2025
Sometimes his quest for the truth takes the shape of a prototypical thriller—rendezvous at dive bars, threats issued by shadowy goons in parking lots.
—Judy Berman, Time, 9 Oct. 2025
Goodie looks around for two seconds and clocks that Cole and his goons are running a scam.
—Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 5 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for goons
Noun
-
Traitors is about the gullible and the skeptical working together to sieve the fraudulent from the truthful, an amalgamated nightmare of village idiots locking themselves in the stocks and pelting each other with rotten fruit.—
Raven Smith,
Vogue,
9 Jan. 2026
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And speaking of the idiots who run college football, the sport had one-fourth of its playoff coaches accepting other jobs before the playoffs even began, and has the transfer portal opening before the playoffs even come to an end.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Even the Democrat hacks at Massport understood the insanity of dumping hundreds more of these thugs into one of the few functioning hubs of commercial activity left in New England.—
Howie Carr,
Boston Herald,
28 Nov. 2025
-
Of course, Sarah and her mom continue to believe that God is on their side, even after the family home is attacked by oil company thugs and a reliable ally winds up on the wrong end of a shotgun.—
Joe Leydon,
Variety,
7 Nov. 2025
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
-
The first thing to do is to reduce the damage to the United States, the inflow of guns and criminals and immigrants and drugs into the United States, the destabilizing of a key part of the Western Hemisphere.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
11 Jan. 2026
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Also, place freezes with ChexSystems and the National Consumer Telecom and Utilities Exchange to stop criminals from opening bank accounts, phone lines, or utility services in his name.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
11 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The lunatics who attacked the seat of government to try to change the outcome of a free and fair election are not patriots.—
Bill Goodykoontz,
AZCentral.com,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Parents know these woke lunatics are bullies.—
Maia Pandey,
jsonline.com,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The gangsters grew powerful running liquor during Prohibition.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
6 Jan. 2026
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Beset by gangs and guns, the Haçienda faltered in the ’90s despite clever-sounding schemes such as replacing the club’s security with the gangsters themselves.—
Andrew Holter,
The Atlantic,
31 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Like most great villains, these are often characters who see their actions as justified.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
21 Jan. 2026
-
No other accessories or villains are included.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
21 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The authentic Denver and Rio Grande train that has operated at Knott’s since 1952 boasts the highest crime rate in all of Orange County with the notorious Ghost Town bandits robbing every departure from the Calico Square depot.—
Brady MacDonald,
Oc Register,
21 Jan. 2026
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Whiskey Row celebrates Prescott's Old West history, with saloons once occupied by outlaws and bandits.—
Paige Moore,
AZCentral.com,
19 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Goons.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/goons. Accessed 23 Jan. 2026.
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