as in thugs
a violent, brutal person who is often a member of an organized gang
the mobster threatened to break his legs if he didn't pay up
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Recent Examples of mobsters
The mobsters turned the van around, pulled off the highway and dumped Gasso in a patch of poison ivy along the Connecticut River in Wethersfield.
—
Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 12 Feb. 2026
Police officials at a news conference said the officers had collected personal and private information unlawfully and distributed it to organized crime figures, in some cases for bribes, and that mobsters then carried out shootings and other violent crimes.
—Arkansas Online, 6 Feb. 2026
With a little more ease than should be the case and at the expense of gripping mystery taking shape, James and Jonny piece together a conspiracy involving local mobsters and Yakuza led by coke-snorting assassin Nakamura (multitalented Japanese artist Miyavi).
—Richard Kuipers, Variety, 26 Jan. 2026
From Sweet Sue’s big opening song to the train ride west to hopping over the border to Mexico and back, the characters have to navigate love, life, and high heels while mobsters and feds surround them.
—Jed Gottlieb, Boston Herald, 20 Jan. 2026
There was also a lot of speculation that Ruby was involved with organized crime, as he was known to be friends with mobsters, mafia members and other members of the criminal underworld.
—Skyler Trepel, PEOPLE, 24 Nov. 2025
There, surrounded by mobsters, the future moviemaker embraced Catholicism and the Italian code of omertà.
—Graham Hillard, The Washington Examiner, 31 Oct. 2025
Its companions are four Russian mobsters — stragglers from the previous season — laying on their stomachs with their necks outstretched over the rail.
—Demetrius Patterson, HollywoodReporter, 27 Oct. 2025
The mobsters are accused of pocketing some of the $7 million that was fleeced from unsuspecting victims who were drawn to poker tables in Las Vegas, Miami, Manhattan and Long Island’s seaside playground for the rich and famous.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2025
Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 12 Feb. 2026
Police officials at a news conference said the officers had collected personal and private information unlawfully and distributed it to organized crime figures, in some cases for bribes, and that mobsters then carried out shootings and other violent crimes.
—Arkansas Online, 6 Feb. 2026
With a little more ease than should be the case and at the expense of gripping mystery taking shape, James and Jonny piece together a conspiracy involving local mobsters and Yakuza led by coke-snorting assassin Nakamura (multitalented Japanese artist Miyavi).
—Richard Kuipers, Variety, 26 Jan. 2026
From Sweet Sue’s big opening song to the train ride west to hopping over the border to Mexico and back, the characters have to navigate love, life, and high heels while mobsters and feds surround them.
—Jed Gottlieb, Boston Herald, 20 Jan. 2026
There was also a lot of speculation that Ruby was involved with organized crime, as he was known to be friends with mobsters, mafia members and other members of the criminal underworld.
—Skyler Trepel, PEOPLE, 24 Nov. 2025
There, surrounded by mobsters, the future moviemaker embraced Catholicism and the Italian code of omertà.
—Graham Hillard, The Washington Examiner, 31 Oct. 2025
Its companions are four Russian mobsters — stragglers from the previous season — laying on their stomachs with their necks outstretched over the rail.
—Demetrius Patterson, HollywoodReporter, 27 Oct. 2025
The mobsters are accused of pocketing some of the $7 million that was fleeced from unsuspecting victims who were drawn to poker tables in Las Vegas, Miami, Manhattan and Long Island’s seaside playground for the rich and famous.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mobsters
Noun
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The centerpiece is, of course, the melee/dance-off between the ensemble in white tutus and the violent thugs, toe blade and all.—
Lé Baltar,
IndieWire,
14 Mar. 2026
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The Democrats, though, have no problems releasing all these bloodthirsty thugs back into the neighborhood.—
Howie Carr,
Boston Herald,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Together, the grimy pair start riding the rails across the country, watching movies starring Frank’s favorite actor, Ronnie Reed (Jake Gyllenhaal), and somehow sparking a feminist plot to overthrow the kinds of mean gangsters who killed Ida in the first place.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
6 Mar. 2026
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After a career defined by playing gangsters, an avenging taxi driver and a paranoid prize fighter, the Oscar-winning actor recited a call for civility, as first spoken by Abraham Lincoln.—
Hillel Italie,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
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That way, even if your data circulates, criminals have a harder time breaking in.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
14 Mar. 2026
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By demanding justice and dignity for the drug-war dead, were nuns, priests, pastors, and other sympathizers not protecting criminals?—
Sheila Coronel,
The Atlantic,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
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With ‘live’ scenes from the ship’s top deck, Marvel villains had invaded the cruise and the screens showed our heroes in action, saving the day.—
Helen Wright,
TheWeek,
11 Mar. 2026
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On one level, the Nazis here are stereotypical adventure story villains, yet specific actual Nazi atrocities are discussed and the suffering of French citizens is deeply felt.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Police arrested one of four snowball bandits caught on camera clobbering the cops with snow.—
Leonard Greene,
New York Daily News,
28 Feb. 2026
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Traditional western dramas were more likely to depict vaqueros as bandits than hard-working ranch hands whose contributions were fundamental to the American West.—
Foreign Correspondent,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Consider Bobbi, one of the assassins sent north to find Armando.—
Michael Snyder,
The Atlantic,
13 Mar. 2026
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Abova plays Miss All-Sunday, one of the several assassins of the Baroque Works organization.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The third, Thomas Jefferson, fought the Barbary pirates without a formal declaration.—
Adam Serwer,
The Atlantic,
4 Mar. 2026
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The park also pointed out a Junior Ranger booklet's mention of female pirates in the 17th and 18th centuries dressing like men to hide among ship crews.—
Karin Brulliard,
Arkansas Online,
3 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mobsters.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mobsters. Accessed 15 Mar. 2026.
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