roughnecks

noun

plural of roughneck
as in thugs
a violent, brutal person who is often a member of an organized gang a group of roughnecks like to hang out at the roadhouse and harass people

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 roughnecks The show focuses on roughnecks and billionaires in West Texas who are trying to get rich as the oil industry continues to take over the state. — Lori A Bashian, FOXNews.com, 9 May 2026 But this is a look at the more dynamic version, like the roughnecks out in the patch and the offices in Dallas and Fort Worth. — Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 17 Nov. 2025 Local agency Legacy Casting is putting out a call for real-life oil and gas workers, or roughnecks, to appear in the show. — Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for roughnecks
  1. thugs
  2. criminals
  3. gangsters
  4. bandits
  5. pirates
  6. villains
  7. toughs
Noun
  • Threatening to limit mail-in voting, adding ridiculous ID requirements, or staging thugs at polling places are other possible ways to convince you to stay home.
    — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 6 July 2026
  • To be sure, the thugs of Hamas and Hezbollah committed a horrific massacre of young Jewish civilians enjoying a music festival on October 7, 2023.
    — DP Opinion, Denver Post, 6 July 2026
Definition of thugs
Noun
  • Supporters will argue that criminals should not be able to hide behind wallets.
    — Susie Violet Ward, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
  • And just like Alito, some members of my family have forgotten our history and support Trump or favor some of his immigration policies, dismissing new arrivals as criminals or lazy.
    — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026
Definition of criminals
Noun
  • Determined to extricate his family from their clutches, Eddie tries to play the gangsters at their own game.
    — Denise Petski, Deadline, 9 July 2026
  • Sangha said that gangsters intimidating immigrants in the Central Valley is far more prevalent than reported.
    — Joe Rubin, Sacbee.com, 8 July 2026
Definition of gangsters
Noun
  • Instead, most are romantic stories about young lovers separated by fate, and the rest are swashbuckling adventures full of bandits and pirates.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 June 2026
  • Fantastical adventures ensue as the pair encounter a mysterious woman, Alexandra, who has lost her son, along with coyotes, bandits, and some pretty big secrets.
    — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 29 June 2026
Definition of bandits
Noun
  • The age of sail, when pirates like Johnny Depp’s fictional Jack Sparrow roamed the seven seas, ended about 200 years ago.
    — Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 1 July 2026
  • Eight pages later, Leucippe has to fake her own beheading to escape from pirates.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 June 2026
Definition of pirates
Noun
  • After all, the best myths take our normal heroes-and-villains binary and punt it into a million pieces.
    — AJ Willingham, AJC.com, 6 July 2026
  • Maybe America was too busy wrestling with its own history of siding with the most despicable villains around?
    — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 5 July 2026
Definition of villains
Noun
  • In that version, the character is played by Joe Don Baker, the great character actor known for playing toughs in films like Walking Tall (1973) and Fletch (1985).
    — Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 5 June 2026
  • So, while Rue and Maddy are confabbing over milkshakes in a diner, Alamo sends Rue off for a drive with his two toughs, G (Marshawn Lynch) and the icy Bishop (Darrell Britt-Gibson).
    — Marlow Stern, Variety, 11 May 2026
Definition of toughs

Browse Nearby Words

roughneck
roughnecks
roughness
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Cite this Entry

“Roughnecks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/roughnecks. Accessed 11 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on roughnecks

Nglish: Translation of roughnecks for Spanish Speakers

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