as in thugs
a violent, brutal person who is often a member of an organized gang
London bobbies clearing the streets of hooligans
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hooligans
The cries mixed with disturbances, the chants of encouragement with shouts from the police and hooligans.
—
Esteban Campanela, CNN Money, 25 Nov. 2025
Esteban Campanela, CNN Money, 25 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hooligans
Noun
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Even the Democrat hacks at Massport understood the insanity of dumping hundreds more of these thugs into one of the few functioning hubs of commercial activity left in New England.—
Howie Carr,
Boston Herald,
28 Nov. 2025
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Of course, Sarah and her mom continue to believe that God is on their side, even after the family home is attacked by oil company thugs and a reliable ally winds up on the wrong end of a shotgun.—
Joe Leydon,
Variety,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The first thing to do is to reduce the damage to the United States, the inflow of guns and criminals and immigrants and drugs into the United States, the destabilizing of a key part of the Western Hemisphere.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
11 Jan. 2026
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Also, place freezes with ChexSystems and the National Consumer Telecom and Utilities Exchange to stop criminals from opening bank accounts, phone lines, or utility services in his name.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
11 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The gangsters grew powerful running liquor during Prohibition.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
6 Jan. 2026
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Beset by gangs and guns, the Haçienda faltered in the ’90s despite clever-sounding schemes such as replacing the club’s security with the gangsters themselves.—
Andrew Holter,
The Atlantic,
31 Dec. 2025
Noun
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The robbery lasted less than seven minutes, as the bandits used a truck with an extendable ladder to cut through a window on a second-floor balcony, according to police.—
Mason Leath,
ABC News,
27 Dec. 2025
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In return, a lord provided his peasants with protection from bandits or invaders.—
Bobbi Sutherland,
The Conversation,
19 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Sorkin finds no heroes but also no villains.—
The Know,
Denver Post,
11 Jan. 2026
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There’s also a massive leg lumbering in the distance which could be a Sentinel, the gigantic, mutant-hunting robots that are some of X-Men’s most iconic villains.—
Jordan Moreau,
Variety,
6 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hooligans.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hooligans. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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