as in thug
a violent, brutal person who is often a member of an organized gang
London bobbies clearing the streets of hooligans
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 hooligan
The activist first came to prominence as co-founder of the English Defense League, a protest organization that vowed opposition to Islam and intermingled with the country’s soccer hooligan scene.
—
Alexander Smith, NBC news, 26 Feb. 2026
Violence in European soccer has subsided; English hooligans now seem almost quaint.
—Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 23 Feb. 2026
Initially, police believed the attack on Brobbey’s car to be intimidation from hooligans associated with Feyenoord, the Rotterdam club who are Ajax’s fiercest rivals.
—Simon Hughes, New York Times, 17 Feb. 2026
The cries mixed with disturbances, the chants of encouragement with shouts from the police and hooligans.
—Esteban Campanela, CNN Money, 25 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hooligan
Alexander Smith, NBC news, 26 Feb. 2026
Violence in European soccer has subsided; English hooligans now seem almost quaint.
—Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 23 Feb. 2026
Initially, police believed the attack on Brobbey’s car to be intimidation from hooligans associated with Feyenoord, the Rotterdam club who are Ajax’s fiercest rivals.
—Simon Hughes, New York Times, 17 Feb. 2026
The cries mixed with disturbances, the chants of encouragement with shouts from the police and hooligans.
—Esteban Campanela, CNN Money, 25 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hooligan
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hooligan
Noun
-
Cabello, once Maduro's chief thug, can now be seen sitting across from high level Trump officials in meetings discussing business deals.—
Margaret Brennan,
CBS News,
30 Apr. 2026
-
He’s beaten by thugs with a crowbar for an unfortunate outburst, exploited by neighbors in the council estate and arrested, all because people don’t understand Tourette syndrome.—
Katie Walsh,
Boston Herald,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
However, Connecticut Citizens Defense League President Holly Sullivan told Fox News Digital that statewide Democrats chose to go after law-abiding citizens instead of criminals by passing this piece of legislation.—
Adam Sabes,
FOXNews.com,
9 May 2026
-
Immigration policy is destroying the lives of families, not criminals.—
Kinsey Crowley,
USA Today,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
Magana’s wife, who was inside at the time, said the exchange sounded like a gangster movie.—
Eleanor Nash
Updated May 3,
Kansas City Star,
3 May 2026
-
Cogan made a similar decision in 2011, disqualifying him from representing Colombo gangster Dino Saracino — who was acquitted of the murder of off-duty NYPD cop Ralph Dols but convicted of racketeering.—
John Annese,
New York Daily News,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Sardinian bandits sometimes fought back with their own sense of justice, settling matters through raids, kidnappings, and violence.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
7 May 2026
-
Residents of the Altamonte Springs neighborhood of Spring Oaks reported finding human feces on vehicles, mailboxes and in yards before surveillance video pointed the finger at her as the crapping bandit.—
Sean Joseph OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Fisk, the villain, ultimately loses this battle.—
Tracy Brown,
Los Angeles Times,
6 May 2026
-
Who’s the villain on your show?—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
6 May 2026
Noun
-
The Knesset recently legalized the death penalty for Arabs who murder Jews, but not for the hoodlum Israeli settlers who have been killing West Bank residents to seize their land.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
17 Apr. 2026
-
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
Noun
-
The big pirate ship on her head.—
Michael Schneider,
Variety,
10 May 2026
-
Although the flowers are quite lovely and attract native bees and minute pirate bugs (an insect that feeds on thrips, spider mites, and aphids), plants can become weedy if allowed to set seed.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
9 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hooligan.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hooligan. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
