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gorillas

noun

plural of gorilla
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

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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 With her death, only one of the zoo's original group of gorillas remains, 41-year-old Kuchi. — Dan Raby, CBS News, 16 Sep. 2026 Conversations with chimpanzees and gorillas aren’t exactly rich in metaphor and critical analysis. — Mike McRae 02, New Atlas, 3 Sep. 2026 The two gorillas will have access to the Gorilla Forest’s outdoor yard or can choose to remain indoors. — Imani Cruzen, Twin Cities, 1 Sep. 2026 Conversations range from meme prompts regarding the deadliness of hawks versus gorillas to summer internships. — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 21 Aug. 2026 After a morning briefing, hikers spend up to one hour observing the gorillas in their natural habitat, according to Visit Rwanda. — Ashley Lynch july 31, Miami Herald, 31 July 2026 Bakari previously lived at another Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA)-accredited zoo with a group of bachelor male gorillas before being gradually introduced to the troop at Animal Kingdom. — Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 31 July 2026 Daneault said Bakari will play a critical role in the AZA's Species Survival Plan for gorillas. — Eve Chen, USA Today, 30 July 2026 The age restriction for chimpanzee tracking is 12 years (gorillas, 15 years); childcare can be arranged if needed. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gorillas
  1. thugs
  2. criminals
  3. villains
  4. gangsters
  5. bandits
  6. pirates
  7. assassins
  8. offenders
Noun
  • That a Christian man was responsible for the devastation in Oklahoma City certainly didn’t matter to the thugs who terrorized a Muslim woman there, nearly seven months pregnant, by attacking her home, breaking her windows, screaming religious slurs.
    — Reshma Memon Yaqub, Rolling Stone, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Some of the thugs were actual neo-Nazis, led by real-life Russian fascist Maksim Martsinkevich, who would later be imprisoned for posting racist videos, investigated for murder and, in 2020, found dead in his cell of an apparent suicide.
    — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of thugs
Noun
  • Now federal investigators say criminals turned that everyday habit into a way to steal bank logins and drain accounts.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 20 Sep. 2026
  • Trump, his family and his wealthy cronies are criminals spending taxpayers’ money and taking it with their underhanded deals with our enemies.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of criminals
Noun
  • Different characters — villains and helpers — pop up along his journey, as well as different tools and weapons.
    — Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2026
  • But Zidar and Zwick are more interested in understanding them than in portraying them as heroes or villains.
    — Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of villains
Noun
  • British gangsters colliding with the Italian Mafia just feels so right for our world.
    — Connor Sturges, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Live actors would appear throughout, sometimes as gangsters in a noir crime movie, and sometimes as Wild West cowboys.
    — Julie Tremaine, PEOPLE, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of gangsters
Noun
  • When a wealthy, royal woman is attacked by bandits, the two men save her and are welcomed to the castle as valiant knights.
    — Jourdain Searles, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Elsewhere, a gang of highway bandits cons an unsuspecting family into stopping by the roadside, only to violently kill them, burn their bodies, and strip their car for parts.
    — Siddhant Adlakha, IndieWire, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of bandits
Noun
  • Within hours, their yacht vanishes, Matt is abducted by a gang of ruthless pirates led by Langbore (Copley), and paradise becomes a trap.
    — Alex Ritman, Variety, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Knights in shining armor, pirates and princesses grace the grounds of Sleepy Hollow for the annual Renaissance Faire in Des Moines.
    — Kyle Werner, Des Moines Register, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of pirates
Noun
  • The settler assassins were arrested by the police and as usual released within a few hours.
    — David Shulman, The New York Review of Books, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Bannerman centers on the eponymous Paul Bannerman, a lethal covert operative who convinces a group of the world’s most deadly assassins to quit the spy game for a chance to lead normal lives in the suburbs of Connecticut.
    — Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of assassins
Noun
  • The Police Department has cracked down on speeding and street racing in recent years using drones and other technology to nab offenders, Oldoerp said.
    — Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Five offenders entered a Green Oaks business early Wednesday and used crowbars and sledgehammers to break into gaming machines, according to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
    — Clifford Ward, Chicago Tribune, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of offenders

Browse Nearby Words

gorilla
gorillas
goring
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Cite this Entry

“Gorillas.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gorillas. Accessed 22 Sep. 2026.

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