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
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Recent Examples of roughnecks
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
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
Noun
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The forces involved in this deadly crackdown include the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), its Basij thugs and various divisions of Iran’s security forces.—
Hamid Kashani,
Twin Cities,
5 Feb. 2026
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When three murderous thugs attempt to reclaim the contraband from Susan, a nightmarish scenario unfolds during the two-hour stage story.—
Philip Potempa,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Violence is widespread in the city proper, with large encampments where meth and other drugs are readily available and criminals reportedly exploit the city’s free bus system to carry out offenses.—
Michael Ruiz , Adriana James-Rodil,
FOXNews.com,
13 Feb. 2026
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Godwin is well known in the space, having assisted law enforcement nationwide leading to the removal of hundreds of criminals from the streets.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
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In the film, the twins return from Chicago in the early 1930s, which inspired Carter to turn to photos of Chicago gangsters from the era.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
9 Feb. 2026
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Ryan Gosling plays an American expat in Bangkok who gets in over his head with some local gangsters.—
Mark Olsen,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The bandits are those who help themselves and cause others a loss.—
Jonny Thomson,
Big Think,
11 Feb. 2026
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The West African nation has been fighting an insurgency for more than a decade, with Boko Haram and its splinter group, the Islamic State of West Africa Province, in addition to several amorphous groups commonly referred to as bandits.—
Pelumi Salako,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
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New data names the top ten worst states for porch pirates, with Rhode Island placing seventh.—
Will Richmond,
The Providence Journal,
17 Feb. 2026
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Within hours, Matt is abducted by a gang of ruthless pirates led by Langbore (Copley).—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Even the Dodgers, the cartoon villains of spending, kind of sort of have a limit.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
18 Feb. 2026
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Head coach Patty Gasso and her bunch remain the biggest villains in the Texas softball universe.—
Thomas Jones,
Austin American Statesman,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The local toughs, led by the sadistic Ace Merrill (Kiefer Sutherland), are headed the same way, albeit for different reasons.—
Sezin Devi Koehler September 1,
EW.com,
1 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Roughnecks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/roughnecks. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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