as in thugs
a violent, brutal person who is often a member of an organized gang
a gang of ruffians preying upon people who ventured into that section of town
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 ruffians
Ciri, unbeknowest to her surrogate ma and pa, is free of her Nilfgaardian captors and on the run with a band of adolescent ruffians, and perhaps figuring out how to take care of herself.
—
Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 30 Oct. 2025
When both young people meet their end the Baron saves Christina by putting Hans’ brain in Christina’s body, uniting their blurred identities in a joint thirst for revenge, creating a Gothic avenger who hunts down the aristocratic ruffians who ruined their happiness.
—Rory Doherty, Vulture, 20 Oct. 2025
Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 30 Oct. 2025
When both young people meet their end the Baron saves Christina by putting Hans’ brain in Christina’s body, uniting their blurred identities in a joint thirst for revenge, creating a Gothic avenger who hunts down the aristocratic ruffians who ruined their happiness.
—Rory Doherty, Vulture, 20 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruffians
Noun
-
Even the Democrat hacks at Massport understood the insanity of dumping hundreds more of these thugs into one of the few functioning hubs of commercial activity left in New England.—
Howie Carr,
Boston Herald,
28 Nov. 2025
-
Of course, Sarah and her mom continue to believe that God is on their side, even after the family home is attacked by oil company thugs and a reliable ally winds up on the wrong end of a shotgun.—
Joe Leydon,
Variety,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The trio has a surprisingly good theory about the implosion of the makeshift Astral Pulse; seems like Shroud never found the original, and someone has been outfitting low-level criminals with bootlegs that are going awry like Robert’s.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
7 Nov. 2025
-
With spoofing tools, criminals can mimic real bank phone numbers and even use AI to reproduce familiar voices.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The robbery lasted less than seven minutes, as the bandits used a truck with an extendable ladder to cut through a window on a second-floor balcony, according to police.—
Mason Leath,
ABC News,
27 Dec. 2025
-
In return, a lord provided his peasants with protection from bandits or invaders.—
Bobbi Sutherland,
The Conversation,
19 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
The gangsters grew powerful running liquor during Prohibition.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Beset by gangs and guns, the Haçienda faltered in the ’90s despite clever-sounding schemes such as replacing the club’s security with the gangsters themselves.—
Andrew Holter,
The Atlantic,
31 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Like the Red Ring goons at the bar, villains all over the city are more juiced up than ever, made stronger by enhancements provided by Shroud.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Plus, there's plenty of new heroes and villains to root for and against.—
EW Staff,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Just like Scott said, there were a lot of pirates out there.—
Dan Morrison,
USA Today,
7 Nov. 2025
-
The book, which is from Australia, follows Bee and her fellow runaways, who discover a new friend, Paco, is a Lost Boy from Neverland who needs them to fight hordes of pirates led by a merciless new leader.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
4 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Presidential assassins and all this dark stuff.—
Seth Abramovitch,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Nov. 2025
-
Up until then, slashers were silent assassins or a breather.—
Raechal Shewfelt,
Entertainment Weekly,
1 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Eyes on Within four minutes of arriving at the outside wall of the Louvre, the thieves had scaled the building and were breaking through a window.—
Joseph Ataman,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
-
President and director of the Louvre, Laurence des Cars, told the French Senate that the only camera installed outside the Apollo Gallery did not capture footage of the window where the thieves broke in and exited.—
Charna Flam,
PEOPLE,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ruffians.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruffians. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share