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
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 hooligans
Buford traveled to games with British hooligans to understand the mind of a violent crowd.
—
Ed Lavandera, CNN Money, 11 Oct. 2025
Ed Lavandera, CNN Money, 11 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hooligans
Noun
-
In The Big Lebowski, thugs mistake the titular slacker (Bridges) for the wealthy Jeffrey Lebowski, sending him on a wild investigation with his pal Walter (John Goodman) into a ransom plot involving Lebowski’s young wife (Tara Reid).—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
8 Oct. 2025
-
Their neighbor, an older Jewish woman, gets arrested and Nazi thugs brazenly loot her apartment.—
Rabih Alameddine
September 2,
Literary Hub,
2 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
As the trend becomes increasingly widespread, criminals are turning to faster ways to procure cars for racing.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
17 Oct. 2025
-
Instead, two wannabe criminals, with their faces obscured by pantyhose, simply walk into the local art museum and rip the paintings right off the walls.—
Haadiza Ogwude,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
17 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The other is about Chicago-style gangsters circa 1929.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
20 Oct. 2025
-
This person mapped out the constellation of gangsters at the ceremony, and provided a video of the event to American agents.—
Ed Caesar,
New Yorker,
20 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Shortly after the museum opened on Sunday morning, two bandits used a lift on a truck to break into its Galerie d'Apollon, which houses the French crown jewels and other treasures, through a second-floor window.—
NPR,
NPR,
20 Oct. 2025
-
Over $200 Off NFL Sunday Ticket NFL fans can make out like bandits with the DraftKings Sportsbook welcome offer.—
Tyler Everett,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Their success obviously wasn't permanent, given Hocus Pocus 2 sees the villains return — but hey, almost 30 years of banishment is a pretty good run.—
Gwen Ihnat,
Entertainment Weekly,
18 Oct. 2025
-
Still, the Expos' downfall is not without its villains.—
Jon Paul Hoornstra,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hooligans.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hooligans. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share