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
Efforts to find a bouba-kiki effect in great apes like chimpanzees and gorillas — animals closely related to humans — have come up empty.
—
Nell Greenfieldboyce, NPR, 19 Feb. 2026
While our morning spent with the gorillas alone was nothing short of extraordinary, there is more to savor back at Bisate Reserve.
—Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Jan. 2026
This silverback, Kavuyo, was being groomed by a female while six other gorillas were munching on leaves in the treetops.
—Christina Liao, Vogue, 14 Jan. 2026
The discovery of language skills in great apes — various gorillas and chimps learned substantial vocabularies in sign language or symbols — and that of tool use across the animal kingdom have, over the years, chipped away at the idea that there is any single ingredient that makes humans unique.
—Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 13 Jan. 2026
Since the gorillas move across a wide area, the trek is unpredictable in length and terrain.
—Holden Frith, TheWeek, 9 Jan. 2026
The birth, which is the first of 2026, brings the Bageni family of gorillas to 59 members, which is the largest in the park.
—Kirsty Hatcher, PEOPLE, 8 Jan. 2026
Pictures released by the park’s press service showed the 22-year-old Mafuko holding the two baby gorillas, sitting on the ground and partly obscured by branches with green leaves.
—Reuters, NBC news, 8 Jan. 2026
Kabarebe said that since 2018 the militias had staged dozens of attacks in the parks where the gorillas live.
—Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025
Nell Greenfieldboyce, NPR, 19 Feb. 2026
While our morning spent with the gorillas alone was nothing short of extraordinary, there is more to savor back at Bisate Reserve.
—Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Jan. 2026
This silverback, Kavuyo, was being groomed by a female while six other gorillas were munching on leaves in the treetops.
—Christina Liao, Vogue, 14 Jan. 2026
The discovery of language skills in great apes — various gorillas and chimps learned substantial vocabularies in sign language or symbols — and that of tool use across the animal kingdom have, over the years, chipped away at the idea that there is any single ingredient that makes humans unique.
—Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 13 Jan. 2026
Since the gorillas move across a wide area, the trek is unpredictable in length and terrain.
—Holden Frith, TheWeek, 9 Jan. 2026
The birth, which is the first of 2026, brings the Bageni family of gorillas to 59 members, which is the largest in the park.
—Kirsty Hatcher, PEOPLE, 8 Jan. 2026
Pictures released by the park’s press service showed the 22-year-old Mafuko holding the two baby gorillas, sitting on the ground and partly obscured by branches with green leaves.
—Reuters, NBC news, 8 Jan. 2026
Kabarebe said that since 2018 the militias had staged dozens of attacks in the parks where the gorillas live.
—Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gorillas
Noun
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In a season 3 teaser, Peter saves Suraj Sharma's Jay Batra from some thugs at a soccer stadium.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Foucauld had later left the army to become a Trappist monk and had established himself as a missionary in Tamanrasset, Algeria, in the middle of the Sahara Desert; he was killed there by local thugs in 1916.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Thanks to the One Big Beautiful Bill, ICE has new funding to expand detention space to keep these criminals off American streets before they are removed for good from our communities.—
Jeff Capellini,
CBS News,
20 Feb. 2026
-
His office is more concerned about arresting police officers than prosecuting criminals.—
Molly Crane-Newman,
New York Daily News,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Even the Dodgers, the cartoon villains of spending, kind of sort of have a limit.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Head coach Patty Gasso and her bunch remain the biggest villains in the Texas softball universe.—
Thomas Jones,
Austin American Statesman,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
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In the film, the twins return from Chicago in the early 1930s, which inspired Carter to turn to photos of Chicago gangsters from the era.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Ryan Gosling plays an American expat in Bangkok who gets in over his head with some local gangsters.—
Mark Olsen,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The bandits are those who help themselves and cause others a loss.—
Jonny Thomson,
Big Think,
11 Feb. 2026
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The West African nation has been fighting an insurgency for more than a decade, with Boko Haram and its splinter group, the Islamic State of West Africa Province, in addition to several amorphous groups commonly referred to as bandits.—
Pelumi Salako,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
New data names the top ten worst states for porch pirates, with Rhode Island placing seventh.—
Will Richmond,
The Providence Journal,
17 Feb. 2026
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Within hours, Matt is abducted by a gang of ruthless pirates led by Langbore (Copley).—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
After diplomatic negotiations, the Iranian state called off its assassins in 1998.—
Anderson Cooper,
CBS News,
9 Feb. 2026
-
One week later, on May 15, assassins forced Valdez, 50, from his car at midday and shot him at least a dozen times in downtown Culiacán, the capital of Sinaloa state.—
Foreign Correspondent,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Cowley wants to champion policies that attack the root causes of violence while holding offenders accountable, according to her campaign website.—
Olivia Stevens,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Feb. 2026
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My key priorities include prosecuting violent offenders, gangs, traffickers, fentanyl dealers, and cartels; supporting local law enforcement; pursuing lawsuits to defend Texas; and aggressively investigating and prosecuting fraud.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gorillas.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gorillas. Accessed 24 Feb. 2026.
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