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
According to her, the zoo takes the palatable trees removed from the preserve — dogwood, sumac, elm, mulberry, and boxelder — and feeds them to a variety of zoo animals, including gorillas, elephants, and giraffes.
—
Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 17 Oct. 2025
While Goodall focused on chimps, Dian Fossey studied gorillas and Birutė Galdikas studied orangutans.
—Tricia Escobedo, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2025
Across mammal species, from baboons and gorillas up to humans, females usually live longer than the males do.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 1 Oct. 2025
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
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
Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 17 Oct. 2025
While Goodall focused on chimps, Dian Fossey studied gorillas and Birutė Galdikas studied orangutans.
—Tricia Escobedo, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2025
Across mammal species, from baboons and gorillas up to humans, females usually live longer than the males do.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 1 Oct. 2025
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gorillas
Noun
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In The Big Lebowski, thugs mistake the titular slacker (Bridges) for the wealthy Jeffrey Lebowski, sending him on a wild investigation with his pal Walter (John Goodman) into a ransom plot involving Lebowski’s young wife (Tara Reid).—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
8 Oct. 2025
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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
Noun
-
As the trend becomes increasingly widespread, criminals are turning to faster ways to procure cars for racing.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
17 Oct. 2025
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Instead, two wannabe criminals, with their faces obscured by pantyhose, simply walk into the local art museum and rip the paintings right off the walls.—
Haadiza Ogwude,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
17 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Their success obviously wasn't permanent, given Hocus Pocus 2 sees the villains return — but hey, almost 30 years of banishment is a pretty good run.—
Gwen Ihnat,
Entertainment Weekly,
18 Oct. 2025
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Still, the Expos' downfall is not without its villains.—
Jon Paul Hoornstra,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Two sisters with a tragic story are said to linger upstairs at Langston’s Western Wear, and unexplained voices and rattling glassware have been heard at Gabriella’s Italian Grill, a Prohibition-era building with a gangsters and gambling history.—
Beth Luberecki,
USA Today,
11 Oct. 2025
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In those times, young people who self-described as gangsters fought for territory, and one of their subversive acts was to tag the walls of the city with the verses of cumbia songs.—
Karla Gachet,
NPR,
3 Oct. 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
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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
-
In the Tatsuya Nagamine movie, Z is the name of an admiral who has sworn to destroy all the pirates of the New World, because of the pirates’ dream to have no leader, motivated only by their alliances that uphold the interests of every person and community.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 Oct. 2025
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For Larissa Knapp, a 27-year FBI veteran who was hired by an entertainment trade group last year to bolster ACE’s work hunting pirates, the timing could hardly have been better.—
Jacob Feldman,
Sportico.com,
6 Oct. 2025
Noun
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First, though, more assassins come for them.—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
10 Oct. 2025
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Are assassins like Kirk’s killer simply pathological outliers among agitated but otherwise self-restrained populations?—
Ron Barrett,
The Conversation,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Deferred prosecution programs are designed for individuals who have committed less serious offenses, often first-time offenders, and offer them a chance to avoid a criminal conviction.—
David Clarey,
jsonline.com,
14 Oct. 2025
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If this is what’s happening, Durvasula advises talent leaders to figure out ways to keep offenders away from as many people as possible.—
Susan Caminiti,
CNBC,
14 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gorillas.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gorillas. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
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