as in thug
a violent, brutal person who is often a member of an organized gang
a couple of hoodlums held up the convenience store
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hoodlum
His hoodlum phase in New York was re-created at the Lenox Lounge in Harlem.
—
CBS News, 2 May 2025
The gang specialized in hijacking cars and guarding bootleg liquor shipments for other hoodlums during the Prohibition era.
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2025
True, black leather jackets have become a symbol for hoodlum cycle jockeys, but remember: Good guys wear 'em, too, including policemen.
—Aurora Sousanis, Detroit Free Press, 5 June 2024
When Jennifer Lawrence isn’t full-frontally beating the bejesus out of insouciant hoodlums, that is.
—Charles Bramesco, Vulture, 10 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hoodlum
CBS News, 2 May 2025
The gang specialized in hijacking cars and guarding bootleg liquor shipments for other hoodlums during the Prohibition era.
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2025
True, black leather jackets have become a symbol for hoodlum cycle jockeys, but remember: Good guys wear 'em, too, including policemen.
—Aurora Sousanis, Detroit Free Press, 5 June 2024
When Jennifer Lawrence isn’t full-frontally beating the bejesus out of insouciant hoodlums, that is.
—Charles Bramesco, Vulture, 10 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hoodlum
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hoodlum
Noun
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At least being a thug is more lucrative than being a poet.—
Joan MacDonald,
Forbes.com,
2 Aug. 2025
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According to reporting from the Clermont Sun, Fike tweeted ‘#thug the new n word’ in April 2015 and ‘Thug life = thug treatment = no pity from me’ in July 2019.—
James Wilkins,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 July 2025
Noun
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The book was about how his father chose conventional family values over the life of a gangster.—
Leonard Greene,
New York Daily News,
2 Aug. 2025
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That audio clip has been shared some 60,000 times on TikTok, often by Venezuelans ridiculing the notion that everybody from their country is a gangster.—
ProPublica,
ProPublica,
23 July 2025
Noun
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The Saturday Night Live alum, 31, and Beverly Hills Cop actor, 64, star in the action-comedy The Pickup as Travis and Russell, two security guards whose vehicle is hijacked by Zoe (Keke Palmer), a criminal on a mission to avenge her dad by robbing a casino.—
Rebecca Aizin,
People.com,
8 Aug. 2025
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Neighborhoods where residents get out and meet each other and know their law enforcement are safer and discourage criminals — that’s the thinking behind the National Night Out campaign.—
Heather McRea,
Oc Register,
7 Aug. 2025
Noun
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When it was announced that the Disney Destiny would be themed to heroes and villains, the theater creatives knew Hercules had to be the premier show inside the Walt Disney Theater.—
Megan duBois,
Forbes.com,
5 Aug. 2025
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In the preview build, there were two levels: the streets of New York culminating in a fight with the villain Beetle, and the S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier that ends with a showdown with Taskmaster.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
5 Aug. 2025
Noun
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But Palm Beach County’s friendly neighborhood sugar cane barons might yet make out like bandits.—
Pat Beall,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 July 2025
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And the cast, in particular Clement as Pure Evil and Lisa Kudrow as the time bandits’ leader, Penelope, were all having a great time, giving the series an infectiously gleeful energy.—
Vulture Editors,
Vulture,
23 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hoodlum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hoodlum. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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