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
These involve raiding the lairs of hoodlum rivals, then singlehandedly dissuading them from competition.
—
Dennis Harvey, Variety, 28 Oct. 2025
Aleah and Grasso end up saving Lizzie’s ass and capturing the hoodlums.
—Grace Byron, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2025
However, hoodlums and thugs who throw objects at the players give up their rights and should be removed, charged, and possibly jailed.
—Kate Plummer, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Aug. 2025
Somehow, that makes the notion of hoodlums stopping by to order Shnack Wrapz and Cheezecake Shakez and then pillage our neighorhoods seem even more unlikely.
—Neal Rubin, Freep.com, 19 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hoodlum
Dennis Harvey, Variety, 28 Oct. 2025
Aleah and Grasso end up saving Lizzie’s ass and capturing the hoodlums.
—Grace Byron, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2025
However, hoodlums and thugs who throw objects at the players give up their rights and should be removed, charged, and possibly jailed.
—Kate Plummer, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Aug. 2025
Somehow, that makes the notion of hoodlums stopping by to order Shnack Wrapz and Cheezecake Shakez and then pillage our neighorhoods seem even more unlikely.
—Neal Rubin, Freep.com, 19 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hoodlum
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hoodlum
Noun
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Ditto Hugh Jackman’s unerring performance — perhaps his finest dramatic work yet — as a savage, unfeeling thug and unrepentant murderer and thief.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
18 June 2026
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The actions of these thugs, who should be imprisoned for a long while, is the cause of denying real Knicks fans the chance to watch the game communally.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
10 June 2026
Noun
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Neither immigrant family should be linked to violent gangsters, of course.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
13 June 2026
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By telling a relatively straightforward story that blends real people from the era of the Gotti Mafia family with imagined characters, Martin Scorsese's dramedy biopic about a kid who falls in love with the gangster life is as even-keeled as anything the director has made.—
Eric Farwell,
Entertainment Weekly,
12 June 2026
Noun
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An allegation last year by a provincial police commander that top officers and officials were colluding with organized criminals led Ramaphosa to announce a national investigation into police corruption.—
Michelle Gumede,
Los Angeles Times,
13 June 2026
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Roman emperors, sometimes urged on by the crowd, were known to grant pardons (to criminals) and freedom (to the enslaved) after an especially noteworthy performance.—
Cullen Murphy,
The Atlantic,
13 June 2026
Noun
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Her bone-chilling performance earned her the MTV Movie Award for best villain, beating out the likes of Daniel Day-Lewis, Mike Myers, Willem Dafoe and Colin Farrell in her category.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
17 June 2026
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This was my villain origin story.—
Lauryn Overhultz,
FOXNews.com,
17 June 2026
Noun
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Re-blockade will now happen at bandit camps and ruins.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
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And what gives her purpose is meeting Ruthye, who’s also endured tragedy, and wants to avenge her family’s death at the hands of the bandit Krem of the Yellow Hills (Matthias Schoenaerts).—
Kate Aurthur,
Variety,
20 May 2026
Noun
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Police said thieves have primarily targeted newer-model Toyota Camry and Corolla vehicles, along with Honda Civic and Accord models equipped with sport trim wheels and tires.—
Nicole Buss,
Sacbee.com,
16 June 2026
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Break a window and thieves might catch a break from facing a dedicated prosecutor in the misdemeanor unit at the Sacramento District Attorney's Office, as budget cuts are leading to cuts in that unit.—
Steve Large,
CBS News,
15 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hoodlum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hoodlum. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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