as in thug
a violent, brutal person who is often a member of an organized gang
the loan shark sent a couple of gorillas to "convince" him to pay up
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of gorilla
Clouds is the first luxury retreat for visitors to this national park—a more ancient and biodiverse ecosystem than the Virunga Mountains, inhabited by Rwanda and Congo’s gorilla population.
—
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 May 2026
During that scene, voted one of Britain’s top TV moments of all time, a young gorilla lies across his body while several babies try to remove his shoes.
—Danica Kirka, Chicago Tribune, 8 May 2026
Ask Theo Epstein, who once escaped the Henry regime in a gorilla suit, only to return, win a second Series and then bolt for the Chicago Cubs.
—Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2026
Now, more than 20 years later, his story is taking a quieter but arguably more meaningful turn — from escape artist to potential patriarch of a new gorilla family.
—Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 22 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for gorilla
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 May 2026
During that scene, voted one of Britain’s top TV moments of all time, a young gorilla lies across his body while several babies try to remove his shoes.
—Danica Kirka, Chicago Tribune, 8 May 2026
Ask Theo Epstein, who once escaped the Henry regime in a gorilla suit, only to return, win a second Series and then bolt for the Chicago Cubs.
—Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2026
Now, more than 20 years later, his story is taking a quieter but arguably more meaningful turn — from escape artist to potential patriarch of a new gorilla family.
—Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 22 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for gorilla
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gorilla
Noun
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The fact that this racist thug has been handed policing power by Netanyahu says more about the state of Israel’s democracy and political values—and in particular about the prime minister’s values—than many Israelis might like to admit.—
Avi Issacharoff,
The Atlantic,
22 May 2026
-
White thugs destroyed it in the 1921 Race Massacre.—
Jasmine Desiree,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
Noun
-
The iconic villain, portrayed by Robert Mitchum in 1962’s Cape Fear and by Robert De Niro in Martin Scorsese’s 1991 version, is back on screen in the new Apple TV adaptation.—
Kirsten Chuba,
HollywoodReporter,
3 June 2026
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Dead-end conflict is where the hero and the villain, the good guys and the bad guys, essentially never have any opportunity for movement or reconciliation at the end of the story.—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
3 June 2026
Noun
-
Re-blockade will now happen at bandit camps and ruins.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
-
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
-
One of the most innovative gangsters of the 20th century, Frank Lucas earned the title of Harlem drug kingpin in the late-‘60s and early-‘70s by importing high-quality heroin from Southeast Asia and selling it under the street name Blue Magic.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 June 2026
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Sensing this once-great dynasty is in decline, the outback’s most powerful factions — rival cattle barons, desert gangsters, Indigenous elders, and billionaire miners — move in for the kill, with billions of dollars at stake.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
Russian athletes are routinely asked to answer for the actions of their government, yet athletes from other countries are rarely subjected to the same scrutiny or treated as though they are personally aligned with war criminals or dictators.—
Jon Root OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
7 June 2026
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Rafay Baloch, a cybersecurity expert and author of the book Web Hacking Arsenal, says that criminals specifically look for travelers who appear disoriented.—
Christopher Elliott,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2026
Noun
-
The bombshells, Gabriel from Brazil and Kayda from New Hampshire, arrive like sexy assassins and silently start making out with everyone standing on a red dot.—
Kathleen Walsh,
Vulture,
3 June 2026
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His legacy as one of rap’s great subliminal assassins is one of the most impressive parts of his career.—
Jayson Buford,
Rolling Stone,
3 June 2026
Noun
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The business will start with six rooms featuring themes like a haunted house, murder mansion, pirate’s cruise and jungle explorer.—
Carolyn Stein,
Chicago Tribune,
5 June 2026
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After the Revolutionary War, the United States maintained no standing fleet, but attacks by the Barbary pirates—corsairs based in North Africa who preyed on American merchant ships and took sailors ransom—drove Congress to reestablish a navy in the 1790s.—
David A. Graham,
The Atlantic,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
Truck traditionalists, however, will not settle for less than eight cylinders under the hood, Kuniskis said, and customers often tell him that a compact truck can't get them to their work site or reliably tow their boats or trailers.—
Morgan Korn,
ABC News,
7 June 2026
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This Seattle kitchen goes from dark to light with a black hood, tile backsplash, and white cabinetry.—
Lauren Jones,
The Spruce,
6 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gorilla.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gorilla. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
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