plug-uglies

noun

plural of plug-ugly
as in thugs
a violent, brutal person who is often a member of an organized gang sent over a couple of hulking plug-uglies to rough up the store owner

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for plug-uglies
  1. thugs
  2. criminals
  3. villains
  4. offenders
  5. pirates
  6. assassins
  7. gangsters
  8. bandits
Noun
  • The residents occasionally gather in a disused rec center but the meetings devolve into rants about immigrants, junkies, thugs and vigilantism.
    — Jessica Kiang, Variety, 26 Sep. 2026
  • That a Christian man was responsible for the devastation in Oklahoma City certainly didn’t matter to the thugs who terrorized a Muslim woman there, nearly seven months pregnant, by attacking her home, breaking her windows, screaming religious slurs.
    — Reshma Memon Yaqub, Rolling Stone, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of thugs
Noun
  • Removing violent criminals, gang members, cartel members and those who refuse to work is wise and popular policy.
    — Don Bacon, Washington Post, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Americans have demonized us as criminals, buffoons, lechers, invaders, criminals and job stealers since the fall of the Alamo.
    — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of criminals
Noun
  • The way it’s framed, both the heroes and the villains can only come from the tech community.
    — Rumman Chowdhury, Rolling Stone, 25 Sep. 2026
  • There aren’t any villains here, just young people making young people mistakes and older people making older people mistakes.
    — Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of villains
Noun
  • The prosecutor’s office stated that the Supreme Court could have applied a different interpretation of the law to ensure certain offenders remained on the public list.
    — Alejandro Avila OutKick, FOXNews.com, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Wiener has passed laws protecting net neutrality, capping prescription costs and mandating mental health parity, ending mandatory minimum sentences for nonviolent drug offenders, and requiring corporations disclose their greenhouse gas emissions.
    — Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of offenders
Noun
  • The pirates are believed to have kept the crew supplied with food during the hijacking.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Their journey brings them into conflict with pirates seeking control of the sacred water on which their community depends.
    — Ed Meza, Variety, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of pirates
Noun
  • Still, despite the typical procedural formula with cases tied to gun smugglers, cartel assassins and kidnappings, the show remains topical enough to keep viewers engaged.
    — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 25 Sep. 2026
  • To that end, the presence of Kyle Soller and MyAnna Buring as the two assassins targeting the Slow Horses has been the new season’s most consistently chilling development.
    — Scott Tobias, Vulture, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of assassins
Noun
  • Somebody like Gilroy or Jeff Kober and Barry Corbin (popping up occasionally as a pair of geriatric gangsters) will come and go in situations knowingly designed to feel contrived.
    — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 23 Sep. 2026
  • And the next thing, a knock come at the door and these gangsters come in with guns.
    — Jon Wertheim, CBS News, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of gangsters
Noun
  • Snoopy and Woodstock line the outside of the bowl in costumes like cowboys, mummies, bandits, and witches.
    — Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 2 Oct. 2026
  • They are huddled together around the camera, looking like a bizarre collection of bandits.
    — Kyle Maclachlan, HollywoodReporter, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of bandits
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.

Browse Nearby Words

plugs (up)
plug-uglies
plug-ugly
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Cite this Entry

“Plug-uglies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plug-uglies. Accessed 4 Oct. 2026.

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