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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of gorilla
New Gorillas, New Dynamics Little Joe may be leaving, but Franklin Park Zoo isn’t saying goodbye to gorillas.
—
Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 22 Apr. 2026
Two young gorillas are set to arrive this spring.
—Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 22 Apr. 2026
New Gorilla Arrivals Planned for Franklin Park While Little Joe prepares to leave, Franklin Park Zoo is already planning for the future of its gorilla program.
—Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 22 Apr. 2026
The gorillas often play and chase each other and sometimes wrestle.
—Karen Kucher, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for gorilla
Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 22 Apr. 2026
Two young gorillas are set to arrive this spring.
—Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 22 Apr. 2026
New Gorilla Arrivals Planned for Franklin Park While Little Joe prepares to leave, Franklin Park Zoo is already planning for the future of its gorilla program.
—Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 22 Apr. 2026
The gorillas often play and chase each other and sometimes wrestle.
—Karen Kucher, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for gorilla
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gorilla
Noun
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Cabello, once Maduro's chief thug, can now be seen sitting across from high level Trump officials in meetings discussing business deals.—
Margaret Brennan,
CBS News,
30 Apr. 2026
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He’s beaten by thugs with a crowbar for an unfortunate outburst, exploited by neighbors in the council estate and arrested, all because people don’t understand Tourette syndrome.—
Katie Walsh,
Boston Herald,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Fisk, the villain, ultimately loses this battle.—
Tracy Brown,
Los Angeles Times,
6 May 2026
-
Who’s the villain on your show?—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
6 May 2026
Noun
-
Residents of the Altamonte Springs neighborhood of Spring Oaks reported finding human feces on vehicles, mailboxes and in yards before surveillance video pointed the finger at her as the crapping bandit.—
Sean Joseph OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
29 Apr. 2026
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Bernthal, who plays Sonny, has his own wayward machismo and hapless sensitivity, the very qualities that made Al Pacino unforgettable in the role of the bungling bandit with a Catholic conscience.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Magana’s wife, who was inside at the time, said the exchange sounded like a gangster movie.—
Eleanor Nash
Updated May 3,
Kansas City Star,
3 May 2026
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Cogan made a similar decision in 2011, disqualifying him from representing Colombo gangster Dino Saracino — who was acquitted of the murder of off-duty NYPD cop Ralph Dols but convicted of racketeering.—
John Annese,
New York Daily News,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
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However, Connecticut Citizens Defense League President Holly Sullivan told Fox News Digital that statewide Democrats chose to go after law-abiding citizens instead of criminals by passing this piece of legislation.—
Adam Sabes,
FOXNews.com,
9 May 2026
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Immigration policy is destroying the lives of families, not criminals.—
Kinsey Crowley,
USA Today,
8 May 2026
Noun
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Even more frightening is a judge apologizing to an assassin who risked the lives of 2,000 people while attempting to assassinate the president and his cabinet.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
8 May 2026
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In Disavowed, Marsden will play legendary CIA Case Officer Brad Griffin, who is abruptly fired in the middle of a global hunt for an elusive assassin responsible for killing his colleague.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
6 May 2026
Noun
-
Why are pirates called pirates?—
Hallie Milstein,
Southern Living,
2 May 2026
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There’s a spacecraft and a robot and pirate references, all catnip for sci-fi and dystopia lovers and all very well done.—
Bethanne Patrick,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
Noun
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The stock market may be near all-time highs, helped by the Magnificent Seven, but a look under the hood is showing some troubling breadth patterns.—
Sarah Min,
CNBC,
4 May 2026
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This renovation is a bit splashier than the others, starting in the kitchen with a Wolf range and hood, Subzero fridge, Miele dishwasher, Miele washer and dryer, and heated floors.—
Katie McDonough,
Curbed,
4 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gorilla.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gorilla. Accessed 10 May. 2026.
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