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
Zoo staff said Roxie will be remembered for chasing the baby gorillas around and being helpful in bringing offspring closer to the troop by teaching Goma, a silverback gorilla, his place in the group.
—
Paloma Chavez, Sacbee.com, 10 Apr. 2025
This can happen only when the public around you is more than just the person in the gorilla suit who usually shows up to these things.
—Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 5 Apr. 2025
Brookfield Zoo has relocated its gorillas to prepare them for their new $66 million habitat opening this summer.
—Carrie Shepherd, Axios, 31 Mar. 2025
AudioQuest, the 800-pound gorilla of the industry, makes a full range of products at all price points from affordable to just-plain-silly.
—Robert Ross, Robb Report, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gorilla
Paloma Chavez, Sacbee.com, 10 Apr. 2025
This can happen only when the public around you is more than just the person in the gorilla suit who usually shows up to these things.
—Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 5 Apr. 2025
Brookfield Zoo has relocated its gorillas to prepare them for their new $66 million habitat opening this summer.
—Carrie Shepherd, Axios, 31 Mar. 2025
AudioQuest, the 800-pound gorilla of the industry, makes a full range of products at all price points from affordable to just-plain-silly.
—Robert Ross, Robb Report, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gorilla
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gorilla
Noun
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Letterman may be the obvious precedent but Mulaney’s delivery is less snide than lightly panicked, as if some Netflix thugs have their hands on a switch off-camera, eager to cut to black.—
Christopher Borrelli,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Apr. 2025
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The Depardieu shtick — his public persona as a crude, working-class thug — was on full display.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
2 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Children meet superheroes and villains, engage with games and movies, and are greeted by staff in costume.—
Chris Gallagher,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2025
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The soul patch, villain, and walrus facial hair all work with masks while mutton chops and chin curtain don’t.—
Lisa Wood Shapiro,
Wired News,
18 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The caps proved popular with dockworkers, shipwrights and bandits, and, over time, the baker boy hat became synonymous with the newsboy cap (which was actually worn by boys working at newsstands).—
Rosa Rahimi,
CNN Money,
18 Apr. 2025
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Security cameras at the church captured images of the bandit, who appears to be an older white woman.—
Roni Jacobson,
New York Daily News,
29 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Mel Novak, the great movie villain known for his slick turns as the sniper Stick in Bruce Lee’s Game of Death, the gangster Blue Eyes in Jim Kelly’s Black Belt Jones and the informant Tony Montoya in Chuck Norris’ An Eye for an Eye, has died.—
Mike Barnes,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Apr. 2025
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What begins as a deep Southern gangster period piece soon transforms into a harrowing fight for survival and spiritual freedom against a ruthless clan of vampires.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
4 Apr. 2025
Noun
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In The Accountant 2, premiering April 25 in theaters, Affleck and Bernthal reunite as brothers Christian and Braxton, who come together to help track down a mysterious assassin.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
16 Apr. 2025
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The beret-lover with the $20,000 necklace (Lauren McKnight) was the second assassin.—
Sara Netzley,
EW.com,
15 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Reckless sanctuary city policies create a sanctuary for one class — criminals.—
Louis Casiano,
FOXNews.com,
26 Apr. 2025
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Trump has expressed support for Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele's maximum security prison, calling it an effective solution for U.S. criminals.—
Amanda Castro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Apr. 2025
Noun
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When there was nothing left to rob, the pirates often resorted to killing.—
Lauren Vuong,
Mercury News,
19 Apr. 2025
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Former pirate Johnny Depp returns to the screen as King Louis XV.—
Jay Stahl,
USA Today,
15 Apr. 2025
Noun
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This is no ordinary family car, though: the Audi RS6 Avant handles like a sports car and packs a huge punch under the hood.—
Kristin Shaw,
Forbes.com,
23 Apr. 2025
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Peeking under the hood Today, bandwidth isn’t a problem for FRDM+, and navigating the streaming service doesn’t feel much different from something like Netflix.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
22 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gorilla.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gorilla. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025.
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