as in thugs
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 hoodlums
The first pictures McCullin took were of hoodlums and down-and-outs, subjects that reflected his own hardscrabble background.
—
Andrew Pulver, Air Mail, 31 Jan. 2026
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
Andrew Pulver, Air Mail, 31 Jan. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hoodlums
Noun
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Minnesotans, not the armed thugs of ICE and the Border Patrol, are brave.—
Adam Serwer,
The Atlantic,
27 Jan. 2026
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Actively inserting yourself into and attempting to stymie federal law enforcement or barging into a church, as some of these thugs did in Minneapolis, is hindering law enforcement and trespassing, respectively.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Immigration and Integration Minister Rasmus Stoklund said 315 foreign criminals from countries outside the European Union had received sentences of more than a year over the last five years but were not expelled.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
31 Jan. 2026
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Top police brass nationwide rarely criticize their federal partners, relying on collaboration to investigate gangs, extremist groups and other major criminals — while also counting on millions in funding from Washington each year.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
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There may have been some male suitors but never any who were gangsters.—
Nathan Smith,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Jan. 2026
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He was freed on supervised release in May 2020, but quickly broke that pledge, chowing down with his fellow Colombo gangsters at the legendary Brennan and Carr restaurant that November to discuss the crime family’s future, and their labor union shakedown scheme.—
John Annese,
New York Daily News,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
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In the end, Al-Sufyani drove off the bandits, who only managed to grab two small packages.—
Kerry Burke,
New York Daily News,
3 Feb. 2026
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The authentic Denver and Rio Grande train that has operated at Knott’s since 1952 boasts the highest crime rate in all of Orange County with the notorious Ghost Town bandits robbing every departure from the Calico Square depot.—
Brady MacDonald,
Oc Register,
21 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Barraza, who was a member of the 501st Legion, a fan group that painstakingly re-creates Star Wars villains' costumes, already had her new suitcases packed — which resembled the ones Harry Potter took with him to Hogwarts.—
Christine Pelisek,
PEOPLE,
4 Feb. 2026
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Their goal is to end stereotypes by showing Latinos can authentically play any role—heroes, complex villains, or leaders.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
3 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hoodlums.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hoodlums. Accessed 5 Feb. 2026.
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