as in thugs
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
Relevance
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of gorillas
In the wild, gorillas form small, loose social groups.
—
Rj MacKenzie, Popular Science, 28 Aug. 2025
Zoo officials said gorillas in the wild typically live between 30 and 40 years, although those in captivity often live longer.
—Karen Kucher, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Aug. 2025
Basically, female gorillas seem to be seeking out their friends when deciding whether or not to make a change, says Robert Seyfarth, an emeritus professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania who has studied relationships in animals but wasn't part of this research team.
—Nell Greenfieldboyce, NPR, 6 Aug. 2025
When visiting Uganda, perhaps on a journey to see the Silverback gorillas, women are expected to cover their legs, at least to below the knees.
—Jenny Peters, Oc Register, 4 Aug. 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
Orangutans and gorillas, for instance, are estimated to take approximately 99% of their annual diet from plant sources.
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 9 Mar. 2025
Being able to observe dissections of gorillas, orangutans and other animals from zoos, for example, gave Matternes an excellent grounding as a comparative anatomist who is able to build out the look of a creature from the bones to the skin.
—Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Mar. 2025
Seeing it three or more times—as is the case for booze bottles, monkeys and gorillas, elephants, and many other subjects and objects in Pollock's paintings—makes those images very unlikely to be randomly provoked perceptions without any basis in reality.
—Ars Technica, 28 Feb. 2025
Rj MacKenzie, Popular Science, 28 Aug. 2025
Zoo officials said gorillas in the wild typically live between 30 and 40 years, although those in captivity often live longer.
—Karen Kucher, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Aug. 2025
Basically, female gorillas seem to be seeking out their friends when deciding whether or not to make a change, says Robert Seyfarth, an emeritus professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania who has studied relationships in animals but wasn't part of this research team.
—Nell Greenfieldboyce, NPR, 6 Aug. 2025
When visiting Uganda, perhaps on a journey to see the Silverback gorillas, women are expected to cover their legs, at least to below the knees.
—Jenny Peters, Oc Register, 4 Aug. 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
Orangutans and gorillas, for instance, are estimated to take approximately 99% of their annual diet from plant sources.
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 9 Mar. 2025
Being able to observe dissections of gorillas, orangutans and other animals from zoos, for example, gave Matternes an excellent grounding as a comparative anatomist who is able to build out the look of a creature from the bones to the skin.
—Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Mar. 2025
Seeing it three or more times—as is the case for booze bottles, monkeys and gorillas, elephants, and many other subjects and objects in Pollock's paintings—makes those images very unlikely to be randomly provoked perceptions without any basis in reality.
—Ars Technica, 28 Feb. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gorillas
Noun
-
Their neighbor, an older Jewish woman, gets arrested and Nazi thugs brazenly loot her apartment.—
Rabih Alameddine
September 2,
Literary Hub,
2 Sep. 2025
-
As night falls, armed thugs roam the streets and families pick up guns to protect themselves.—
Oren Liebermann,
CNN Money,
24 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Lawmakers in many states have changed the rules in recent decades to protect winners from being targeted by criminals and unscrupulous people asking for money.—
Safiyah Riddle,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Sep. 2025
-
Her Eco-Age consultancy, targeted by criminals and forced to close in 2024 after 17 years in business, had advised clients on industry developments, changes to government policies and practical guidance on how to avoid greenwashing.—
Luisa Zargani,
Footwear News,
6 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
There are villains in every episode and the story uses them to showcase some societal issues.—
Joan MacDonald,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
-
Eugene Domingo stars as Mauricia, a disrespected restaurant worker who, while watching soap operas one night, gets sucked through her TV screen into a training academy for villains.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Others are new, building on a genuinely fresh and funny revelation that explains not only a cold open involving yakuza gangsters half a world away in Osaka, but also why this quaint town is sitting on a stash of weaponry big enough to overthrow the governments of several small nations.—
Katie Rife,
IndieWire,
9 Sep. 2025
-
Inspired by the colonial Singapore gangsters rulers, four girls, at a modern-day regimented elite secondary school form their own gang cam-recording petty acts of rebellion, led by firebrand freethinking lesbian Choo Xin Yu.—
Marta Balaga,
Variety,
7 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Over $200 Off NFL Sunday Ticket NFL fans can make out like bandits with the DraftKings Sportsbook welcome offer.—
Tyler Everett,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Sep. 2025
-
Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern were cast as the bumbling but dogged bandits, Harry and Marv, and Catherine O’Hara brought humor and compassion to the part of Kevin’s mother.—
Tim Greiving,
Vulture,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
For decades, the characters in science-fiction movies and TV shows who traveled on spaceships tended to be scientists, explorers, diplomats, soldiers, and pirates.—
Noel Murray,
Vulture,
3 Sep. 2025
-
Off the coast between Somalia and Yemen, the ship was attacked by pirates, and passengers were told to wait on Deck 5 as the captain sped up the ship.—
Kathleen Wong,
USA Today,
2 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The two Kill Bill films, while still about crime and criminals and ninja assassins, set themselves apart from his earlier works.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
1 Sep. 2025
-
By adopting a policy of assassinating assassins, Israel sought international legitimacy, and perhaps even the quiet approval of some Lebanese.—
Lynn Zovighian,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Biden’s autopen signature was used to issue major clemency orders in the final two months of his term that affected more than 4,000 individuals, including drug offenders and those placed on home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic.—
Lauren Green,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Sep. 2025
-
Produced by Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, in association with Wolf Entertainment, Law & Order examines the criminal justice system and tells the stories of the police who investigate crime and the district attorneys who prosecute the offenders.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
9 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gorillas.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gorillas. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share