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
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Recent Examples of gorillas
John Mitani is a professor emeritus of anthropology at the University of Michigan, whose studies over 45 years have included wild chimpanzees in Uganda and Tanzania; gibbons and orangutans in Indonesia, gorillas in Rwanda, and bonobos in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
—
Keith Matheny, Freep.com, 9 Sep. 2025
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
Keith Matheny, Freep.com, 9 Sep. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gorillas
Noun
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Their neighbor, an older Jewish woman, gets arrested and Nazi thugs brazenly loot her apartment.—
Rabih Alameddine
September 2,
Literary Hub,
2 Sep. 2025
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As night falls, armed thugs roam the streets and families pick up guns to protect themselves.—
Oren Liebermann,
CNN Money,
24 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Our research suggests that the vast majority of Republican voters want to close loopholes that allow criminals and dangerous people to get their hands on guns.—
Gabby Giffords,
Time,
11 Sep. 2025
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The days of letting dangerous criminals terrorize American citizens are over.—
Dan Gooding,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Plana played one of the two main villains in Three Amigos.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
9 Sep. 2025
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There are true and proper villains (Mordred, Morgan Le Fay).—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
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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
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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
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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
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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
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That’s when Billy, a conman serving a debt of service to the pirates, burst through the crowd, yelling at the blaster men.—
Manuel Muñoz,
Literary Hub,
11 Sep. 2025
-
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
Noun
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The plane is filled with assassins assigned to kill them both.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
8 Sep. 2025
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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
Noun
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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
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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 16 Sep. 2025.
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